A Little Friendly Competition
by PlotbunnyChariot
Summary: Uhura has a plan that involves tennis matches, Christine Chapel, Spock, and the rest of the Bridge crew. Is this plan frivolous and merely a friendly prank, or is there something more beautiful hidden beneath the surface? Did my best on the rating. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**A Little Friendly Competition**

**Chapter One: Name of the Game**

Christine Chapel strode confidently into the room, her thankfully-longer-than-usual skirt flowing smoothly around her knees. She twirled her weapon of choice in her hands, countenance almost smug at the familiar surroundings.

"Hi, Nyota!" she greeted her best friend. "Ready to get beaten?"

Nyota Uhura slowly smiled, her grin flashing brilliantly in the rec room. "That depends," she replied, twirling her own weapon, "Are you ready to get your head out of the clouds? Because the action's on the ground, and that's where you'll be when you lose."

Christine grinned. Some said she was too competitive for her own good, but she disagreed. She saw her competitive spirit as merely encouraging her own personal growth.

"Bring it on, Nyota," she challenged.

Several crewmembers near the court backed out of the way. The two fiercest women on the _Enterprise_ were getting ready to brawl, and no one was going to get in their way. They weren't stupid, after all.

"Shall I?" Nyota asked, holding the ball in her hand, ready to serve.

Christine took up her stance on the other side of the court, knees bent to lower her center of gravity, braced for action. She twirled her tennis racket deftly in her hand.

"Please do," she replied charmingly.

The crewmembers of the U.S.S. _Enterprise_ looked like bobble heads; their heads kept moving back and forth as they watched the tennis match, totally drawn into the intense game. Both Christine and Nyota were in top form as they pounded the tennis ball back and forth on the court, leaping to hit high balls and sliding on their knees to strike lower ones. Those few who had never see the two spar were amazed by the amount of physical prowess it took to play the game, not to mention the endurance and speed; beyond that, the two best friends were perfectly matched, and neither one wanted to lose. Needless to say, the match was fascinating.

Only a few noticed at first when Hikaru Sulu entered the room, eyes trained on the match as well. He came and stood with the rest of the onlookers, who were all below him in rank, and watched silently for a while, until one young ensign's voice was heard above the sounds of one very sad tennis ball.

"Wow! Look at them go! How do they do that?"

Sulu chuckled and turned to the new recruit, replying, "Oh, they do that at least once a week if they can, Ensign. And they're able to do it because they're incredibly strong and skilled; you don't want to mess with those two. Don't worry, you'll learn the ins and outs of this ship in no time, Ensign; the details are just as important as the big picture, even if they do show up a little later sometimes."

Before the ensign could reply in the affirmative, Christine couldn't help but cut in. "The second most important detail around here is to be careful around the Iron Doctor. The most important? Be careful around the Iron Nurse; that's me," she added, winking at the young kid before striking the tennis ball with a resounding _crack_.

The ensign visibly gulped. So did half the others in the room. "Y-Yes, Ma'am," he stuttered.

She was about to reply when Uhura slammed her tennis racket into the ball, sending it practically flaming to Christine's side of the court. With a quick twist, run, and a slide, Christine just saved the ball and swung it back, making use of every ounce of momentum Nyota had already given it. After a couple more rapid fires, the two again settled into their steady rhythm, each catching their breaths and trying not to let their sweaty hands loosen their holds on the tennis rackets.

"Say, Christine, how about we make this more interesting?" Uhura's voice broke through the game.

Christine raised an eyebrow. "Interesting how?" she asked, adding a little extra force to her swing. Uhura lazily batted the ball back as if it was child's play.

It was not.

"Oh, I don't know," she drawled, a mischievous grin lighting up her features. "How about...if I win, you have to play someone of my choice, and if I lose, you can do the same to me." She risked a quick glance at Sulu. "Personally, I wouldn't mind watching you cream Hikaru."

Christine grinned at Sulu's terrified face before returning the ball once more. "Why not?" she replied cheerfully. "But I've got to warn you, Nyota: I play to win."

Uhura's eyes flashed confidently; the look was enough to scare everyone in the room save only her best friend. "I know, Christine. But you won't this time." With a sudden leap and a twist, she slammed the tennis ball just inside Christine's half of the court. Christine was just a fraction too slow to catch it, and the crowd of crewmembers gasped as she slid in too late, knees scraping the floor until she fell forward.

Uhura rushed over, breathing heavily, and offered her hand. Christine looked up, swallowed her pride, and took it. Hauling Christine to her feet, Uhura glanced quickly in her eyes. Christine noticed and smiled to put her friend at ease.

"It's alright, Nyota; good game," she said, brushing herself off. "That was a crazy move, by the way! How did you come up with that one?"

Uhura merely smiled, clearly at ease by her friend's lack of anger. "Oh, don't worry about it, Christine," she replied with a bit of a smirk. "Just consider it...a product of some intense practicing."

Christine put her hands on her hips. "You've been practicing behind my back?" she asked with a fake pout. Her expression quickly changed. "Well, I suppose I should be honored; if it takes you extra work to beat me, well then, who am I to argue with that?"

The two laughed in sync. "Sure, Christine, you keep thinking that I need the practice if that makes you feel better," Uhura replied, a twinkle in her eye. "Don't forget, though; you have to play whoever I tell you to."

Christine face-palmed. "Alright, fine," she replied, rolling her eyes. "Who's it going to be? Hikaru?"

A certain terrified helmsman ran out of the room for dear life.

"I'll let you know when I get there," Uhura replied in a laugh. "But I think we should give poor Hikaru a break."

The two best friends walked out of the room, laughing the whole way at Sulu's antics.

The crewmembers left in the rec-room were utterly speechless.

**I hope you guys like this so far! There is a great story about to unfold here; more chapters will be up soon. Please write a review before you leave, even if you never have before! It will totally make my day! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Getting a Little Help**

"Christine, you may as well tell me."

The head nurse of the _Enterprise_ sighed in frustration as she finished sanitizing the hypo tray. "You know, Doctor, sometimes it really bugs me that you're so perceptive."

Dr. McCoy chuckled even as he folded his arms over his chest and rocked back on his heels, waiting for the real response. Sickbay was empty for once, since the ship was orbiting a peaceful Federation planet while it waited for test results from a fancy facility on the surface. Honestly, McCoy wasn't that interested in what was going on down there; the tests had something to do with a "unique, chalk-like substance" found only on the planet's surface, and he was a doctor, not a geologist.

Chapel sighed. "Honestly?" she asked, still not turning to face him.

"Honesty always helps," he replied dryly with a twinkle in his eye.

She sighed, wishing she could hide her thoughts and emotions from Leonard, but knowing full well that after years of working together, he reminded her so much of her grandfather that she could never hide a thing from him. Turning around slowly and taking a deep breath, she looked him in the eyes.

"Leonard, I'm worrying about something totally stupid."

He tried very hard not to let the chuckle escape his lungs, but biologically speaking, it was pretty hard to do. Christine was not amused. Struggling to hold it down, the doctor took up his most serious expression, standing as tall as possible with a ridiculous look on his face. Christine couldn't help but crack up herself, and Dr. McCoy grinned.

"Alright, alright, I get it, it's ridiculous," she said through her remaining chuckles, her attitude becoming more somber again. "But honestly...Nyota beat me in a tennis match, and even though that's not a problem except for my pride-which could use a little weeding, anyway-I'm worried about what comes next."

"And what, exactly, is that?" McCoy asked, turning back to the tedious but surprisingly important job of cleaning off the bio-bed monitors.

Christine sighed and leaned back against the bio-bed guardrail, trying to think of how to best put her next sentence. "Nyota and I made a deal, which she won; I have to play the next match against anyone she chooses."

"And what's the problem with that? Besides Nyota, you're the best tennis player onboard. And you've faced plenty of others before. Why should there be an issue now?"

"That's my question," she replied, smoothing out the wrinkles on the bio-bed's thermal blanket. "I think I'm just worried she'll choose someone that, somehow, I won't like. She had such a sneaky light in her eyes."

"Oh, you know Nyota," Dr. McCoy replied, "she's always up to some prank. Keeps the rest of us sane when we're not on shore leave."

"This was different," Christine insisted, her voice taking on an edge of stubbornness.

"How?" he questioned, turning back to look her in the eyes, genuinely wondering.

Christine didn't quite know what she had planned to say in response, but if she had had something, it soon faded from her lips. She didn't really have much of a reason for her suspicion; it had simply been a hunch that something big was going on. Hunches were incredibly vital for both a nurse and anyone on the _Enterprise_, and she knew not to sneeze at them, but she wasn't sure quite what was up with this one, and she wanted to be more sure of things before she started pointing fingers.

She sighed. "It's probably just me being dramatic, actually," she replied, looking down. "I'll think on it for awhile and get back to you if it's still bugging me."

"Alright," the doctor replied quietly, knowing exactly how she felt without needing her to tell him. His eyes were gentle as he added, "Why don't you take a break? You've been stressed lately, even with the lack of patients, and it's worrying me." Her surprised eyes confirmed his suspicions; the nurse had clearly been having a rough month, and he didn't want the levels of stress to hurt her more than they already had. Tennis matches could only let off so much steam, and she needed some quality time to get back on track.

"You..." she started, but her words died in her lungs and her sentence trailed off.

He smiled gently, and she instantly saw her grandfather in his eyes. "I noticed. I know it's something you need to work through without me, something I can't help with even though I wish I could. Go take a break, Christine."

She struggled with the numerous emotions and duties flitting through her head before she felt his weathered, gentle hands on her shoulders. "Christine." She looked up, tears trying to form in her eyes despite herself at his kind face. "Go." She smiled and was gone, striding briskly through the halls to her quarters.

He watched her leave, fatherly love painted in every crease of his face.

_What can I do to help her, if she's going through this?_

Minutes later, Uhura strolled into Sickbay nonchalantly, secretly observing the large room for signs of other crewmembers present. Satisfied that the place was empty for once, she knocked on Dr. McCoy's office door and breathed a sigh of relief when he opened up, seeing his room empty as well.

"I need to talk to you, Leonard," she announced as she accepted his offer to come in.

"I can tell," the doctor replied with a slight chuckle. He motioned to the leather sofa for her to sit down, but she clearly wanted to stand. "If you don't mind...?" She waved almost carelessly in assent, and he sat down himself. Something was obviously on her mind. "What can I help you with, Nyota?" he asked, equal parts amused and concerned.

She wheeled on him, serious eyes sparking with fire. "Leonard, I need your help." He was now much more concerned. She held up her hand before he could speak. "This is serious." Folding her arms across her chest, she added, "I'm going to play the honest card, Leonard. I'm at a crossroads here. If you can't help me, I don't know if I'll be able to pull this off."

"Pull off what, exactly?" he asked cautiously.

Her eyes shifted from their fiery confidence to a more level light, and a smile played on her lips as she glanced back at the doctor. "The best match of the century."

**A big thank you to all who have read and reviewed this story! You are truly awesome. More chapters are coming soon! Please remember to write a review before you leave; I need fuel for my plot bunnies. :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Being a Trooper**

Christine leaned against the closet in her quarters, fighting back tears and the painful, choking ache in her throat. Stumbling to her desk, she held onto its weathered wooden surface for dear life, feeling the smooth, cool wood underneath her fingers. Tears slipped down her face, and choking sobs wrenched her heart away from her.

Looking up minutes later from where she had collapsed on the desk, and still sniffling, she instantly felt her heart jump and reach for the framed picture she knew would be there. Her hand followed her heart and stretched out, gently grabbing the picture and cradling it lovingly. She scanned the only face within the worn frame, already fearing she would forget it, but loving every line on the weathered face.

Her eyes traced every wrinkle in his skin, every unruly strand of hair, every shadow that played on his smiling lips. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she studied his hazel eyes and the sweet light behind them, and a sudden sob nearly choked her as she realized she would never see them in person again.

"I miss you so much, Grandpa," she whispered, index finger gently tracing the features hidden behind the glass.

She shifted position and felt her foot touch the leg of the desk her grandfather had made for her, all those years ago. Placing the picture in its regular place, secured by special clamps in case the _Enterprise _got into another scuffle, she backed up and got on the floor. Lying down, she stared up at the bottom of the desk, smiling through her sorrow at the innocent, childlike art in the wood. She reached one hand up to rub her fingers over the carved surface and peeling paint.

Her grandfather had made this desk for her, back when she was just a child. He had chopped down trees on his own plot of land for it, fitted the slabs together, sanded them by hand, and helped her polish them with varnish. She remembered how he had gently guided her hand, telling her to let the brush go on its own accord over the wood and fill in all the cracks. She had wanted to do it herself, and he had let her, but only after guiding her first. She remembered the clean, minty freshness of his breath as he complimented her for her steady hand.

He had been the first person to encourage her going into nursing, and he had always stood by her when she had to find her own path, no matter what others had thought. Even when he supported her on her decision to go to Starfleet, she had seen his loving hazel eyes spark with tears. He had always told her to follow her heart...and he had always let her, even if it meant heartache for him.

She sighed deeply as the thoughts of his love came flooding back to her, and she breathed in the clean peace left over from the tears. She wanted to stay right there under her desk and fall asleep, but she decided doing so wouldn't be advisable. Grabbing one of the desk legs, she maneuvered out of the small space and sat back in her chair. Her eyes kept flitting to the pillow on her bed, and though she tried to stop the idea, she knew exactly who was going to win. She didn't like losing.

Sighing heavily, she leaned over and grabbed the letter from underneath the pillow, fighting with herself over whether to read it again or not. It had broken her heart the first time. Why should she read it for the billionth time?

She knew she had to.

_My dearest Christine,_

_If you are reading this letter, than I am gone._

_I want you to know that your grandmother and I love you very much; we always tried to do what was best for you, and I can only hope and pray for many blessings to grace you during your life. I know you are where you belong, out there in the stars. And I know you will find your path in life, no matter what happens to you. You were always the strong one; you never let anyone rub you wrong, but you also had the sweetest heart. You have the strength of a rock without the fragility of one._

_There were many times I thought this day would never come, but it has. I hope you will forgive me, Christine, for writing such a short letter. You know that my poetic skills only go so far. But I feel what I have to say, you already know deep in your heart, even if it be locked away. I hope, if it is locked up, that this letter will be your key._

_The greatest and best force I know of in life is love. It conquers everything and survives everything, even though people always think it won't. It's underestimated, but it's worth more than everything else in this world and all the worlds beyond. Loving your grandmother was the crown point of my life, and it meant more to me than words could describe. It was the same with your parents and with you._

_I want you to experience love in your life more than anything else. I pray you find the love that you need and give the love that is needed. Please, my dearest Christine, allow your heart to open up to love. I know you are so guarded, and for your own reasons, but you must allow yourself to love and be loved, as well. There will be much risk and likely some hurt because of this, but I promise you, it will be worth it when you find what your heart is looking for._

_I love you, my dearest Christine. Remember me; live your life, and love with all your heart and with your whole self. May your path always be well-lit among the stars._

_-Your Grandfather, who loves you more than you can ever know_

Tears she had been holding in for the past several weeks overcame her, and she cried herself to sleep.

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing! Reviews are fuel for plot bunnies and sunny days for me. :) More chapters will be up soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Calling in the Reinforcements**

Uhura's fingers flew over her communications console as Captain Kirk talked to the planet's leaders about the geological sample on their planet's surface. With a word from him, she cut off the transmission and swung around in her chair, raised brow and questioning look in her eyes asking her question for her.

Kirk noticed and grinned widely. "It went well," he informed his Bridge crew. "The landing party was able to obtain some excellent samples, as Mr. Spock has informed me, and the planet's leaders are perfectly happy with the whole affair. It's a nice change for us."

"I'll say," Chekov murmured from his post, and Sulu laughingly punched his arm. Chekov's face burst out into his usual toothy smile.

"Shall I plot a new course then, Captain?" Sulu asked, fingers poised over his console and ready to break them out of orbit if necessary. Kirk waved it away.

"No need, Sulu. Starfleet's granted us a small shore leave while we're here." He clapped his hands together and rubbed them together in excitement. "You know what that means. Usual rotation schedule, Lieutenant," he added to Uhura.

She nodded, a step ahead of him, and went to work.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Uhura glanced up once Kirk had left and locked eyes with Sulu, who gave her a barely perceptible nod. Leaning back in his chair and stretching in exaggeration, he fake-yawned and threw a glance at Spock, who was typing up a report on his PADD from the captain's chair. Spock's eyes met his, along with one raised eyebrow.

Sulu quickly snapped back to his console.

"Is something wrong, Lieutenant?" Spock asked dryly.

"Er, no, sir, just stretching," Sulu quickly replied. "Doesn't take much to keep the ship in orbit, you know."

"I fail to see why you consider this a relevant remark."

Sulu heavily sighed and tried to think of a good response. He could find none. Luckily for him, Chekov came to his assistance.

"Mr. Spock, have you had the chance to analyze the substance found on the planet's surface?" he intervened, accepting the quick look of gratitude from his best friend. "Some of the staff in the science labs seem to think it has some of the properties of dilithium."

Mr. Spock gave a small nod in response. "I have had a brief chance, Ensign," he replied, and Sulu was instantly grateful his prodigy friend was a favorite of the Commander's. "Though I have not observed many such properties, the substance does seem to have the potential to store and transfer energy more than what was originally thought. The Federation believes it may be a potential power source in the near future, though for what I do not know."

Chekov nodded, torn between being interested and just saving Sulu from a lecture of some sort. "That is very interesting," he replied. "I am sure we will be hearing much about it."

Spock nodded, but before he could respond properly, the doors to the Bridge whooshed open and the shift replacements came in. Uhura was all too happy to hand her station over to the junior communications officer and dash for the turbo-lift. Spock had nearly figured out that something was up, and that was definitely not a good sign. She was going to have to be even more careful from now on.

Sulu muttered a farewell to his Commander before rushing off too, practically dragging Chekov behind him. Spock rose one eyebrow, but other than that decided to let it go. Illogical humans.

"That was close," Uhura breathed as the three officers piled into the turbo lift. She glanced at Sulu and added, "But our little test just proved it. Spock's going to notice anything even slightly off. I was hoping he'd just ignore us, but that was stupid. We have to keep him off the trail."

"What?" Chekov interrupted, completely confused.

"All in good time, Pavel," Sulu remarked, patting his friend's shoulder. He glanced at Uhura again. "Where do we meet and when?"

As the turbo lift slowed, Uhura flashed the two a grin. "If all goes well, the main Engineering deck in 20 minutes."

"We'll be there," Sulu replied as the doors slid open.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Uhura felt her heart skip a beat as she entered the main Engineering deck and spotted Scotty. Her confident grin faded into a sweet smile as the engineer spotted her.

"Nyota!" he called as he jogged over. "What are you doing here?" His grin complimented hers perfectly.

"Actually, I came to see you," she replied with a sweet light in her eyes. "I need your help with something."

She watched as a brief questioning look passed over Scotty's eyes. "Of course, Nyota," he replied, his eyes returning to their former fond light. "My shift ends in a couple minutes; can it wait that long? I just have to help Ensign Jacobson fix a leak in one of the Jefferies tubes, and I'll be right there."

"Of course!" she replied, remembering the ensign and his utter devotion to her favorite engineer. Scotty had taken him under his wing ever since his arrival a few months ago, and the kid was going to be an excellent engineer.

"Thanks, Nyota," Scotty said, holding her hand gently before rushing off to help the ensign under his charge. She smiled and clasped her hands in front of her, as if she could hold his love with her always. She intended to.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Sulu had explained the situation to Chekov, along with his involvement in it, by the time the two of them had finished their drinks in the rec-room. Drawing in what was left of the warm smell of his tea, Sulu sat back and waited for the verdict.

Chekov blinked and glanced down at his empty coffee cup before responding. "Wow."

Sulu laughed. "That's all you have to say?" he teased. "I thought surely a genius like you would be able to comment with a little more fluency."

Chekov chuckled himself. "Sorry, it's just a little bit hard to take in all at once. I mean, I don't know how you're going to pull it off. This is going to be very tricky."

"That's why we need your help," Sulu replied, gesturing broadly with what was left of his cup of tea. "Other than Uhura, you're the genius of the group. We're going to need your smarts."

Chekov frowned, brow furrowed and mind clearly turning around the possibilities. He sighed deeply. "Are you so sure it's a good idea?" he asked suddenly. "I mean..."

Sulu held up a hand to stop him. "Look, that's what I said. But this is more than the usual tricks with Nyota. She's got something up her sleeve that I can't figure out, but I know it's there. You should have seen the light in her eyes when she described it all to me; she really wanted my backing, and she really believed in what she was saying. She knows something we don't." He leaned forward. "Come on, Pavel. Please? You'll see what I mean when you talk to her." He waited, holding his breath. If they didn't have his best friend's backing, they might not be able to pull it off.

Chekov took in a deep breath and looked his friend in the eye. "Alright, Hikaru. I'm on board. But if something bad happens..."

"Trust me, Pavel," Sulu replied gratefully, shaking his head, "it won't."

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

"So what did you want to talk about, Nyota?" Scotty asked as he walked with Uhura to a quieter area of the main Engineering deck.

She quickly scanned the area before replying, gazing up into his beautiful eyes. "Scotty, I'm afraid I'm up to my usual pranks again," she replied, grinning when she saw understanding flash through his eyes.

"Oh dear," he laughed. "And who exactly is the subject of this one?"

"Actually, there are two," she replied. "One of them is Christine."

Scotty shook his head. "I hope you're going to be nice to the poor lass," he warned in a teasing tone, knowing full well that Uhura would never intentionally hurt her friends.

"Oh, I'm going to be very nice," Uhura replied, trying not to catch his infectious laugh. "And I need your help to do so."

"Oh, really? In what way?" he asked in a voice that mixed a touch of hesitance, a dab of excitement, and a huge heaping of amusement all together.

Uhura grinned even wider, knowing he was as good as on board. "You'll see."

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Chekov followed Sulu as the two officers entered the main Engineering deck, scanning the room for Uhura. If someone spotted them in Engineering, especially with Uhura, they might appear suspicious; they wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. Spotting her rounding the corner with Scotty, Sulu grabbed Chekov and moved.

"Hey," he said breathlessly as they jogged up. "Why'd you have us meet here? A little conspicuous, don't you think?"

Uhura motioned for them to follow her. "First off, are you in, Pavel?" she asked.

The young ensign nodded in the affirmative. "Yes, I am. Hikaru convinced me," he added, rolling his eyes for emphasis.

"Nice work, Hikaru," she laughed. "I had us meet here because I knew it was the best time to talk to Scotty, with his shift almost over anyway, and the Engineering crewmembers' numbers are down because they were already sent on shore leave."

Sulu shrugged. "Fair enough," he replied, reminding himself that Uhura would of course know the movements of most of the crew onboard the ship. He blinked and added, "You really know what you're doing, don't you?"

She flashed him a grin as Scotty opened up his office. "Let's just say don't get on my bad side, Hikaru."

He glanced sideways at Chekov, whose face mirrored his own. "Got it."

Scotty chuckled at that and let the group into his office. "Have a seat," he offered.

"Alright, so..." Sulu started.

"Hold up," Uhura interjected. "We're not all here yet."

"Who else is in on this?" Chekov cried.

A knock at the door answered him. Scotty flashed Uhura a look as he opened it.

"Dr. McCoy!" he exclaimed.

"In the flesh," the doctor replied, walking in and accepting the offer of a seat.

"The Doctor...?" Chekov's eyes were practically bulging out of his skull.

McCoy rolled his eyes heavenward and chuckled under his breath. "Nyota convinced me," he explained. "And to be honest, I don't mind having a little fun along the way."

Chekov made a mental note not to get on the doctor's bad side, either.

"Alright," Uhura said authoritatively, slapping her hands together in glee. "Let's get down to business. We've got a lot of work to do."

**A big shout out to all those who have read and reviewed! Thank you all so much for your awesomeness! Your reviews give me and my plot bunnies the strength to go on! More chapters are coming up soon. Please write a review before you leave, even if you've never written one before, and thanks for reading! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: Man Down**

Dr. McCoy's eyes shone tenderly as he watched Christine strike up a conversation with a reticent patient; the quiet Security crewmember had gotten his foot broken in an accident on the planet, though luckily he was going to be just fine and the incident had not hampered shore leave in any way. Christine had suffered so much lately, but yet she was still incredibly caring for other people. It seemed almost unfair that she gave so much of herself and got so little in return. Oh, sure, she gained the gratitude and friendship of the patients she helped, along with having her own set of friends, but other than that...

McCoy's head jerked up as the doors to Sickbay whooshed open, and his fingers instinctively reached for the medical supplies near him. He smiled and relaxed when he saw Spock walk in, upright and uninjured. Christine looked up as well with a quiet smile before turning back to her patient.

"Well, what can I do for you, Spock?" McCoy drawled, a mischievous light in his eyes and a bounce in his step. "Come here to get a personality change? I'm sorry, believe me, but even I can't do that."

Spock raised a classic eyebrow. "Doctor, your attempted insult is both ineffective and irrelevant."

McCoy crossed his arms. "Well then, Mr. Spock, why are you here?"

Spock braced himself, clasping his hands behind his back and swallowing hard. "Doctor...I believe that I am unwell."

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

"What?!" Chekov's voice rang out through the science labs and into the corridor beyond. Scotty looked up in surprise from where he had been repairing an electric panel in the hallway. Something in the ensign's voice made him start running. By the time he had reached the door to the science lab Chekov was in, chaos was already ensuing.

Chaos as in the science-lab-crewmembers-are-flying-everywhere kind of chaos.

Chekov was rapidly plowing his way through science technicians to make his way to one of the monitors on the walls, and they were fleeing for their lives.

This could not be good.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Uhura's eyes widened in shock when the reports came pounding in through her earpiece. "Captain!"

Kirk wheeled around in his chair at the tone in her voice, but before he could respond, Dr. McCoy called in on his personal communications panel.

"Jim! You've gotta get down here, now!"

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Dr. McCoy ran his tricorder over Spock a third time, unable to believe the instrument or his eyes reading it. Wordlessly, Christine handed him another tricorder, but even as he worked the machine he knew what the result would be. The same.

"Spock, why didn't you tell me earlier?" he practically yelled.

"Doctor, at that time I did not notice the effects-"

"Never mind," McCoy snapped, working the blood test on his tricorder. "Just tell me exactly what your symptoms are."

Spock's eyebrows shot up, but he did as the doctor requested. "Ever since my lengthened exposure to the dust from the planet below, I have been increasingly disoriented, dizzy, and fatigued."

Spock watched through slightly blurry eyes as Dr. McCoy motioned to Christine, who dashed out of the room only to return a second later with more medical supplies that he couldn't quite make out. He had to admit to himself that Christine Chapel was not only an extremely competent nurse but also a very beautiful one. He tried to shake the thought from his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to say that her beauty wasn't there. It simply was.

Facts were facts, after all.

He suddenly heard the Sickbay doors whoosh open as one very concerned Captain James T. Kirk ran into the room. "What's going on?"

"Jim! Glad you made it. Turns out your second in command here just caught something nasty that's messing with his internal structure."

"How bad?" Jim asked, gasping as he suddenly noticed the expression on Spock's face-the expression that for once wasn't being held back very effectively.

It was one of intense pain.

"Bad. Christine, get me some of that sedative we used last time." She was off in a flash of blonde hair and blue uniform.

McCoy sighed deeply and winced at the silent expression on Spock's face. "Jim, whatever this is, it's literally eating away his Vulcan half."

"What?!" Kirk's face could never be described; its shocked fear and concern for his best friend was something one had to see to believe.

Dr. McCoy swallowed hard. "Jim, it's attacking his Vulcan physiology. It started in his bloodstream but it gave up on that, thank God. It's moving around now; who knows where it could attack next, but the likely targets are the heart or the brain."

Christine returned then, and he took the offered sedative and put it into Spock's system. "If my theory based on the scanner readings is correct, then the sedative is surprisingly our best bet for him. I think it will release a sort of counter-balance to the toxin floating around in his system; essentially, just like it'll put Spock to sleep, it'll put the toxin to sleep too. At any rate, it's the only thing we have on hand right now, and we don't have time to try anything else. I can only hope my theory works."

"And if it doesn't?" Kirk pressed.

McCoy met his eyes. "It has to."

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

"Pavel, what's going on?!" Scotty's voice rang out over the confusion and panic.

Chekov was at the monitor, rapidly typing in commands on the screen's surface. "I don't have time to talk right now, Scotty!" his thickly accented, and terrified, voice replied.

Scotty plowed his way through the slower crewmembers still present and hovered over the ensign's shoulder, studying the fluctuating graphs on the screen. His eyes widened when he realized what was going on.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Uhura tried very hard to breathe deeply. She glanced at Sulu, whose fearful question made her shudder.

"What happened?"

Swallowing hard, she replied, "Something's wrong with Spock. He's in Sickbay right now."

Hikaru glanced at the science station, which stood empty of its usual officer.

"Oh, no."

**Bet ya didn't see that coming. Haha, neither did I. ;) A HUGE thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, and supported me in this story! You guys are incredibly awesome! More chapters are coming soon, and until then, please remember to review again! Fuel for plot bunnies, yay! :) I never thought this story would take off like it has, and I really am honored that you guys seem to love it so much! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: A Soul Revealed**

Christine tried to control the burning in her throat and eyes. She couldn't cry now. There was no way. She had to stay strong.

The captain had gotten a call on his personal communicator from Scotty. Apparently, Chekov had found something in the planet's soil sample that had caused the poisoning; the whiz kid was already rushing to find the antidote. Spock had been in close contact with the stuff while testing it not long ago, and Chekov had known about it and gone to do his own research-luckily without being in any contact with the soil. If he hadn't chosen that time to look at it himself, he wouldn't have noticed the abnormalities that took place after the reported time Spock had left the science lab.

Kirk had rushed off to speak to the planet's leaders over the Bridge view screen, managing to refrain from accusing them of anything but pumping them for all the information he could get. His drive to find out what had happened to Spock was the only thing powerful to tear him from the Vulcan's side.

Dr. McCoy, though loath to leave the unconscious Vulcan, had left to both try to help Chekov and also tend to some minor injuries of crewmembers outside the science lab. Apparently a certain Russian had, without intending injury, pushed some crewmembers out of his way and in the process into several lab tables and equipment; luckily no one was seriously hurt, and no one could blame the kid after learning what he had been so crazed about. Finding out the soil sample your commanding officer had just been testing contained a dangerous, swift-acting toxin was never a pleasant experience.

Dr. McCoy had hated to leave Christine with an unconscious Spock, but the only thing the doctor could do now was to help Chekov as best as he was able and tend to his other duties onboard the ship. Spock was stable now, at any rate; the sedative had apparently been a very good idea. Before they had known of Spock's exact status in Sickbay, Scotty had relayed Chekov's message over the communicator that sedation was necessary immediately to slow the toxin. If McCoy had operated on his hunch just a minute or two later, Spock would already be dead.

If Christine had been just a few seconds slower in grabbing the hypo, the same would have happened.

Christine gazed at Spock's unmoving face. He had calmed down and fallen asleep under the sedative, and finally the look of agony had slipped away from his face. His breathing was still a little labored, but she knew that he was stable. That was the only way McCoy would have ever left him.

She took a deep breath and tucked the thermal blanket more securely around the Vulcan's shoulders. She couldn't get the image of his agony out of his mind. She had seen that look on his face before, and he only let it show through when he couldn't control himself through the pain. Those times were always rare...and deadly.

She briefly glanced at where the Security ensign had been resting not long ago. Captain Kirk had already ordered the beam-up and quarantine of the few who had been on the planet or in contact with the soil samples for fear the toxin would affect them or even spread. Several of the other doctors were examining them now in a separate part of Sickbay, but so far Christine hadn't heard any bad news.

For now, the head nurse was left alone in her part of Sickbay, watching over the room's sole patient. She leaned forward and quietly murmured to him while he was unconscious, feeling the burning ache in her throat growing stronger. She trailed off as his face twitched, and she gasped as a cycle of emotions ran across his face, most of them appearing to be pure agony.

And then she saw a Vulcan cry.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Uhura buried her head in her hands for a second before summoning all her strength to do her job. Kirk had just finished speaking to the council of leaders on the planet below, and they were genuinely shocked at what had happened. They already had a panel of scientists rushing to find a solution to the problem, but Uhura personally thought that if anyone could figure it out now, Chekov would.

He was already on the case, his genius mind quickly adapting to medicine, and he had Dr. McCoy and even Scotty for help if he needed it. Knowing him, though, he'd probably do it all on his own; he was a smart kid, but he needed to focus to get these kinds of things done, and distractions could prove fatal. McCoy and Scotty knew that, and they would only offer their help if he asked for it.

Thinking about the group's understanding of each other and Chekov's brilliant mind was one of the few things that kept Uhura going. There wasn't anything she could do now to help Spock, but she could help the captain and the ship he served. For right now, she had to do her job.

She could only hope they would find the antidote before it was too late.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Sulu breathed steadily, focusing as best as he could on his work through the fog of the sudden chaos. He honestly hadn't been expecting this. The _Enterprise_ usually ran into problems on even peaceful missions, but it didn't always, and he had been hoping this would be one of those rare times. Captain Kirk had rushed off the Bridge after speaking to the planet's leaders to join Dr. McCoy, Chekov, and Scotty in one of the science labs. So Sulu found himself in the captain's chair, going through reports on a PADD as well as taking care of the regular Bridge duties that Kirk always had to deal with.

He risked a glance at Uhura, knowing she was more devastated by the news than she would let on to most people. He was strangely grateful when she didn't notice or meet his eyes; it would have been incredibly painful for both of them if she had. At this point, acknowledging each other's sorrow and terror at the situation would only serve to hamper their duties.

For right now, he had to focus on getting as much work done as possible; that was really all he could do. He didn't have to do it alone, however. He and Uhura were silently collaborating over PADDs to get as much of the captain's work done as possible while he was...busy.

Sulu sighed and hoped their work would be worth it in the end.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Scotty was working furiously on one of the science lab's other computers, trying to figure out the solution to the poisoning himself. He didn't have a medical degree, but he was quite proficient in math and science, and he could work off of what Chekov was doing. He had to try. He had already called another technician in to deal with the work he had left unfinished in the hall, and he had been assured by Captain Kirk both that Spock was stable and that all those who had been in contact with the soil or the planet were being recalled and quarantined on board. So far, no reports of poisoning had occurred beyond Spock's, and Scotty hoped it would stay that way.

He risked a glance at Chekov; the young genius was working even more rapidly than himself, murmuring details about the graphs he was trying to fit on the screen while the gears in his brain turned.

Suddenly, they clicked.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

He felt his brain surging, spinning, screaming in pain. Shadows of places he had been and things he had seen ages ago flashed before his still-closed eyes. Images of Vulcan's searing brown desert blended with days at Starfleet Academy; his father's disapproving eyes bored into his skull; he found his mother crying in a secluded part of their house; he stood and took insult after insult; he met James T. Kirk and Leonard H. McCoy; the three saved each other's lives, again and again...

He felt-yes, felt-like he was reeling through space without a tether to the ship. His mind took him places he didn't want to go, and he couldn't stop it. His father once again scolded him for just about everything. Once again he wasn't worth anything in anyone's eyes, despite the power of his mind and intellect. Once again he was _that _child, the half-human, half-Vulcan, nothing-whole; the child everyone spoke of in hushed tones.

He remembered everything vividly; his Vulcan training had certainly given him that. Every detail of each event flashed through his mind. He was helpless to stop it. Every single jeering insult others had ever given him, practically since his birth, raged in his Vulcan ears. Every time his father had disapproved of him branded itself into his brain; every sacrifice his mother had ever made for him pummeled into his heart.

His heart shrieked as he remembered all the emotions that had ever come over him, all the human sides of him suddenly shining through his mind like sunlight through a crystal. And nearly all those times, he had had to repress it, lock it up with a key and never let it see the light. He couldn't let anyone see him human again. Not after what had happened to him because of it.

He knew it was illogical. He knew there might be acceptance for him somewhere in the world, from someone. Jim, perhaps. Leonard. Yes, he knew them by their first names; he didn't always use them, but he thought them. But even if they accepted him, the rest of the world would not. Vulcan would not. His father would not.

But maybe, just maybe, their acceptance was worth more than a whole world's rejection.

He felt his mind turn to Christine, and this time he didn't want to stop it. He felt himself wondering at all the times she had been there for him, all the times they had discussed scientific findings and advancements together, all the times her sensitive smile had brightened his day. How often had he come with Jim to Sickbay, only to find Christine up late watching over McCoy when he was sick, or doing some paperwork for him when he had finally passed out from exhaustion? How many times had she cared for all three of them, pushing them when their stubborn selves needed to be pushed and being gentle when their hearts needed her softness? Being Vulcan, or at least part Vulcan, he knew exactly how many times he had found her doing so, and that didn't count the times he hadn't noticed or been able to notice. He almost couldn't believe the numbers. Almost.

How much beauty could live in one woman? It was something he knew even he would never be able to measure.

Then he heard her soft voice from the outside world break through his poisoned haze.

_"Oh, Spock. If only you could allow that human side of you to show through. We would be able to help you more that way; we would be able to see when you were hurting. Do you think we wouldn't be there for you? Spock, we would never leave you...If only you knew how much we love you...how much I love you..."_

A certain Vulcan cried.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Dr. McCoy had just finished with his last patient outside the science lab and Kirk had just joined him when Chekov's voice loudly echoed through the hall.

"I've got it!"

McCoy didn't really remember all the details of how it happened. All he knew was that one second he was silently worrying for the only Vulcan onboard the ship after his failed attempts to help Chekov, and the next he was rushing into Sickbay and nearly colliding with the speedy Russian genius who had just figured out the solution to the whole problem.

Christine's head jerked up in surprise as four men tried to beat each other into Sickbay. With a rapid but gentle motion they never saw, she reached out her hand to wipe away Spock's tears before they could see them.

A heartbeat later she felt herself practically thrown back as all four men crowded around Spock's bio-bed, jabbering on top of each other about his condition. It was only when Dr. McCoy and Chekov raced into the back room and came back with a hypo that she realized what was going on.

They'd found the antidote.

It was her turn to cry.

**A MASSIVE shout-out to all those who have read, reviewed, and helped me with this story! You guys are amazing and have kept this story alive. Sorry it took a while to update; I had to take a step back and look at the story again after the wrench Spock decided to throw in it. For those who love the fluff, don't worry! For those who love the depth/drama, don't worry! I am trying my best to incorporate both into this piece, so you will probably see more of each. Until then, please read/review and let me know what you think! Constructive criticism and praise are both accepted. :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: There Are No Words**

He heard voices trying to reach him through the fog of his still-recovering mind. Dr. McCoy's voice shifted through the beeps of Sickbay monitors, and Jim's pitch registered in his ears. He was sure he could hear an eager Chekov too, and was that Scotty as well? But the one voice that broke through to him was Christine's.

"Spock? You can wake up now...they found the antidote...you're going to be okay."

Blinking through the haze, he managed to slowly sit up.

"Are you alright, Spock?" McCoy asked excitedly, running his scanner over Spock in addition to the bio-bed's monitors.

"I am...better, Doctor," Spock replied, picking his words carefully. One hand rose involuntarily to try to stifle his headache.

"Head hurt?" McCoy observed, studying the readings carefully.

Spock tried not to sigh in frustration. "As I said, Doctor, I am better than I was before. My 'headache' will dissipate quickly. It is nothing to be concerned about."

"I'm the doctor here; I'll be the one deciding whether your headache is important or not," McCoy snapped, glaring a little at the Vulcan. Spock decided that arguing at this point would only increase the pain in his head.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," McCoy grumbled under his breath. Clearing his voice, he added, "Well, Spock, it looks like the toxin is almost totally out of your system now; Chekov's miracle did the trick. Looks like you'll pull through just fine."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "Ensign Chekov found the antidote?" he questioned.

"Aye, sir," Chekov spoke up, wide eyes beaming. "I was conducting some research of my own on the soil sample after you had left, and I noticed its energy readings were fluctuating abnormally. After looking into it, I realized that it contained a sort of encrypted toxin that is triggered only by Vulcan or Romulan physiology. I don't know why it does that, sir, but I was able to find the appropriate antidote for it in time. Dr. McCoy had already administered a sedative to you, which fortunately was a slowing agent to the toxin itself. Without it, sir," he shuffled his feet uncomfortably, "you would've died almost immediately. It was an incredibly fast-acting toxin, once it took root."

Spock blinked, processing the information for a moment, before slowly and sincerely responding. "Then I believe I owe you and Dr. McCoy a debt of gratitude."

Their eyes could not have grown any bigger.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Uhura wheeled around in her chair to face Sulu. "He's okay!"

"What happened?" he demanded excitedly, jumping out of the captain's chair and rushing over to her.

"Pavel found the antidote in time. Spock is already far better and should recover quickly," Uhura replied, tears trying to form in her eyes and her smile growing bigger on her face.

"Thank God for Pavel. I don't know what we'd do without the kid."

Uhura heartily agreed. "And Dr. McCoy, and Scotty, and the captain, and really everyone," she added. "We all need each other out here."

Sulu nodded seriously. "We wouldn't survive otherwise."

He watched as a new light entered Uhura's eyes, gaining ground slowly but surely.

"Oh, no. What are you thinking now?"

"What do I think? First, I think I need to see Spock and Christine for myself and make sure they're both really okay. And then, if they are..." the mischievous light grew stronger in her eyes, fueled by the sudden relief of the situation, "then I think I'm going to have to have a little talk with the group."

Sulu shook his head. Life on the _Enterprise _was full of quick ups and downs, and if you didn't learn to live by those rules, you wouldn't get far. It looked like it was time for another "up" in their roller-coaster way of life. He'd learned by now not to debate it. "Here we go again."

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Captain James T. Kirk walked through the halls of the _Enterprise_, relieved beyond words but also feeling the anxious after-effects of the situation with Spock. He had been through crises before-that was certain-but he certainly hadn't become numb to them. In his experience, ignoring problems and trying to be untouched by them was usually worse than letting them hit you in the gut full-force. If they hit you hard, then you could punch back. If you pretended they didn't exist, you couldn't do anything to get rid of them. And especially as the Captain of a starship, you couldn't afford _not_ to get rid of them.

Each crisis under his command struck him powerfully, but when something happened to one of his close friends, it always hurt more. And something happening to Spock or Bones? That was always the worst. What frustrated him the most was when he couldn't do something to help. Standing there, watching the whole thing go down and unable to do anything about it, drove him crazy. This time, Chekov, Scotty, and Bones had been there to save Spock's life, but would they next time?

He shook the thoughts out of his head as he stepped onto the Bridge, and he smiled in gratitude as Sulu flashed him a grin and got out of his seat.

"As I'm sure you've already heard," Kirk announced as he sat down in his beloved chair, "Chekov found the antidote in time, and Spock's going to be fine."

Uhura smiled. "I'm glad to hear it from you personally, sir."

Sulu nodded his agreement. "It's a real relief, isn't it?" he asked, one arm draped casually over the back of his chair in the general relief of the moment.

Kirk smiled gently at the officers under his command, remembering one of the reasons why all the stress and chaos of serving on a starship were worth it. "You have no idea, Sulu. No idea."

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

"Really, Doctor, I am more than ready to go back to my post."

"I'll tell you whether you're fightin' fit or not!" McCoy snapped. "I don't care how quickly you can bounce back, you were just attacked by some crazy toxin from _dirt_, for Pete's sake, and you need time for your body to recover."

Spock was about to open his mouth again when Christine walked into the room. For some reason, his mouth snapped shut.

"Ah, Christine, did you get the readings I sent you?" Dr. McCoy asked.

"Yes, Doctor," she replied, "I've double-checked them as you asked; your view on the security ensign's broken leg looks right to me, and none of the others who have been exposed to the soil are showing any symptoms of poisoning. Like Chekov said, it must just go after Vulcan physiology. And apparently, according to Chekov, it only affected Spock because he had enough physical contact with the soil."

Her voice trailed off a bit on the last part as she glanced at Spock, but she quickly moved on. "Being exposed to those who have gone down to the planet shouldn't cause him any harm; he would have to actually handle or be near the soil itself to experience any ill effects." Even so, she was grateful that the others were still under watch in a separate part of Sickbay. The security ensign was with them as well, having been on the planet when he had broken his leg, and her part of Sickbay was empty save Spock.

"Good, good," McCoy muttered, glancing over a report on the PADD he'd just picked up. "Chekov and I were thinking that'd be the case, and I'm glad you agree. I've felt so rushed lately that the double-checking is quite helpful."

"Perhaps, Doctor, you should have someone 'double-check', as you say, your opinion on my readiness to return to my post. After all, you said yourself that you value such-"

"Shut up, Spock! You're resting here for a day at least so I can keep my eye on you, and if you keep protesting, I can and _will _make it longer!"

Christine couldn't help but let out a tiny giggle. Spock decided to shut up.

"Oh, be nice to him, Doctor," Christine laughed good-naturedly. "He just got over a poisoning and wants to do something instead of just lie there and be bored; the least you can do is be a little sympathetic."

McCoy turned to glare at her, his usual post-crisis grumpiness evident but tempered by the affection in his eyes. "Thank you for your opinion, Christine," he replied dryly, "but I think I can handle my own patient, despite asking for second opinions."

She grinned, still not over her relief at Spock's quick recovery and finding it hard not to show it. "You're quite welcome, Doctor. Always glad to help."

He gave up and rolled his eyes. "Fine then," he replied, "If you're so eager for him to get out of here, why don't you watch him for a while? Trust me, I want him gone-" he cast a quick, taunting look at Spock-"but he has to recover properly first, even if I have to sedate him again to make it happen. And that might just happen if he keeps opening his stubborn mouth. But I'd rather you watch him than me for a while; I need a break from him, and I'd rather not be forced to hypo him due to my own annoyance. Knocking him out would be incredibly welcoming, but it'd just make him stay here longer."

Christine laughed again when Spock raised an eyebrow at the doctor's outburst. "Asking for a little relief, Doctor?" she joked.

He sighed, clearly worn out and not willing to fight over it anymore. "Yes."

She shook her head. "I don't understand why you two just can't get along," she replied, "but if your getting out of here for a while spares Spock another few hours' dose of sedative, then I guess I can oblige."

"Thank you," Dr. McCoy replied with exaggerated gratitude. "I don't think I could've taken listening to his biased opinions on his own health for much longer."

She watched with amusement as he ducked out of Sickbay, no doubt going to talk with the captain over a drink or two. She couldn't blame the guy; with all the stress he had to deal with, an occasional drink with a dear friend was nothing to complain about. She knew that Spock's sudden poisoning had shocked the doctor more than he would have liked to admit, and he was probably a bit emotional seeing the Vulcan suddenly alive and kicking again. He wasn't about to show Spock that relief, however. She knew that all too well.

She turned back to Spock, suddenly feeling awkward and out of place. Clearing her throat, she instinctively picked up a PADD and began scrolling through reports on it, hoping the action might somehow ease the tension. "So, I hear you're feeling better, Spock?" she asked, wishing the awkwardness would just disappear.

"I am in a better state of health than I was before," Spock replied carefully, trying very hard not to get distracted by the blonde sweep of her hair. "Though Dr. McCoy does not seem to believe that," he added, suddenly deciding to encourage the conversation. He didn't know quite why, but he did want to talk to her. She smiled, and he noticed for the thousandth time how beautiful her smile really was.

"Oh, he'll get over it," she replied, tapping a few buttons on the PADD's screen. "He always does. He just gets grumpy after coming through a catastrophe." She shot him a quick look after realizing that he might take the wording badly. She needn't have worried.

"I do not understand why he would be so emotionally inclined," Spock replied with a tilt of his head, "I am perfectly recovered, and there has been no damage done to the ship or her crew."

She glanced away, trying to focus on the PADD and not on Spock's quiet attractiveness in asking a simple question. "Oh, you know us humans," she said quickly. "Always emotional."

She had expected him to fly into a sizable rant about human emotion, but he didn't. She turned around in surprise to see him looking at her, quietly and with an unknowable light enveloping his eyes. "I would not say that it is always a weakness," he finally said, his voice barely audible.

She could barely respond. "What...what do you mean?" she asked breathlessly.

Spock held her gaze instead of looking away. "While I was sedated and the toxin was still in my system, you were with me."

Her shocked face said it all.

"I was not fully unconscious," he continued. "I could hear you talking to me."

She nearly dropped the PADD. She wanted to step back, run away, do anything to get out of the awkward situation, but she couldn't. She was frozen under Spock's gentle gaze, just as she always had been. If what he said was true, then he must have heard her say she loved him. How could she have let that slip? What could he possibly _think_ of that? What would his analytical mind make of it?

"I also believe I felt you wipe the...tears away from my eyes," he added, struggling to admit that he had actually cried, but knowing that he needed to.

She was absolutely frozen now. Her mouth opened, but no speech came out. All she could do was look in those gentle, calm eyes as their owner spoke to her.

"I wanted to tell you...I am very grateful, for all that you did for me. For all that you have ever done for me. I..." His voice trailed off as the doors to Sickbay opened.

"Christine?" It was McCoy's voice, and he instantly realized he'd walked in on something he probably shouldn't have. But there was no fixing that now. "I hate to interrupt, but I was just told they need our help releasing the quarantined patients..." He trailed off, his voice bitter in his throat. He had missed out on something important here, and he really wanted to borrow Spock's equation for time travel to fix it. Unfortunately, getting that equation would be practically impossible, so he had to deal with whatever issue he'd just created. Joy.

Christine choked back into life, and she stammered, "Oh, of course, Doctor. Let me just grab my things, and we can..." she grinded to a halt when she glanced at Spock's eyes, and she forced herself to look away.

"Of course, of course, take your time," McCoy inserted quickly, already backing out towards the hall. "I can get started without you...take your time." He adopted the better part of valor and ducked out.

"Christine?" She turned back in surprise at Spock's use of her first name. "If I can call you that?" he added, and she nodded in dumb response. "Christine, I am very grateful. Perhaps I can speak with you after you attend to the other patients?"

She nodded and tried to speak, but she honestly couldn't tell whether she was dreaming or not. "I would, I mean, yes. Yes, of course," she stammered, once the words had gotten past her throat.

Spock nodded, seeming almost to understand what had just happened. "Thank you," he replied quietly.

Christine left her part of Sickbay totally, and beautifully, stunned.

**Another huge shout-out to those who have read, reviewed, and waited patiently for updates! So sorry it took me so long this time around, but don't worry, I'll try not to leave you hanging for too long this time! Reviews help immensely, so please leave one even if you never have before. It's a huge joy to any writer and helps us keep going with our stories. Also, I'm running out of carrots for my plot bunnies and I really need to feed them with something. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: A Plan Revisited**

Uhura's skirt swished as she strode back to Scotty's office from visiting Christine in Sickbay. Spock had been fast asleep despite himself by the time Christine and Dr. McCoy had come back from releasing the other patients, and Christine had seemed shaken by something the entire time. Uhura had pulled Christine aside to talk to her, and it was then that she'd learned of what had happened between Christine and Spock minutes before.

She was, honestly, shocked by it. Had the very Vulcan she'd been trying to match Christine with hours before suddenly matched himself?

Christine had tried to tell her otherwise, despite the hope that was obviously flaring up in her heart. "No, he's still under the effects of the antidote and the sedative," she had declared. "He's probably just a little loopy."

Uhura had decided not to point out the fact that he had seemed, by Christine's account, perfectly reasonable and even deliberate in what he had said. She'd also refrained from bringing up all the times Spock had been perfectly fine even with medicine in his system. Christine knew it all at heart, and Uhura knew her friend had to find it out on her own. She had known Christine for too long to think otherwise. Sometimes the stubborn nurse had to work out her own problems, and interrupting that process wouldn't be healthy for the girl.

Uhura ducked into Scotty's office, knowing that he, Sulu, and Chekov had ten minutes or so before their shifts were up. She was mildly surprised to find Dr. McCoy already there, considering the circumstances with Christine and Spock, and the look on her face clearly betrayed her.

McCoy raised a glass. "Welcome. You finished talking to Christine, I suppose?"

She nodded with a gentle smile and took a seat on the couch opposite him.

He sighed. "I suppose she told you all about it, then. I won't ask; I don't want to go snooping around in her personal affairs unless I have to. But I do have to ask one thing." He glanced at Uhura, eyes serious. "It was a good thing, wasn't it? It wasn't bad?"

"I think it was good," she replied, "if a little surprising."

McCoy nodded, trying not to ask any more questions. This was Christine's affair and not any of his business, but it was hard not to pry. "Good. She doesn't need anything else bad in her life right now."

"I know," Uhura replied quietly, thoughts flitting back to her best friend's secret. She peered carefully at McCoy. "How did you know?"

McCoy sighed and set his drink aside. "You know Christine's an open book to me," he started, "and when she started acting oddly a month ago, I knew something was up. Oh, she was still as professional as ever, but she was stricter, focusing more on that professionalism as if it was the only thing she had to hold onto anymore. I tried talking to her, but she would just snap and wouldn't tell me anything. So I looked up her record, and I found out that her grandfather had died. She wasn't going to tell anyone, but even those secrets are still written down. I...I can't imagine how painful it must've been for her, living alone with that secret this past month."

Uhura nodded sorrowfully. "I found out when I was looking in her room for a book of hers she said I could borrow. I saw a piece of paper sticking out from under her pillow, and I couldn't resist looking." She glanced up to meet her elder's eyes. "It was a letter from her grandfather...his last words to her." McCoy's eyes grimly closed at the bittersweet pain behind those words. "He said all he wanted her to find in life was love. That's when I decided to do some match-making. It wasn't just fun and games, even though it became more light-hearted as I went along. I really, sincerely, want her to be happy. And I think she'd be happiest with Spock, and vice versa."

McCoy nodded slowly. "To be honest," he said quietly, "I think I agree. That Vulcan is the most stubborn-headed creature I've ever met, but...so is Christine. They're both obviously compatible, and it isn't hard to see that she likes him. And at the same time, I think he likes her."

Uhura's head jerked up. "Really?"

McCoy nodded again. "Yes. It's harder to see, it's more subtle, but I think it's there. I couldn't give you examples off the top of my head, but I really think it's in him. Not that the stubborn Vulcan would ever admit it."

Her sly eyes flashed. "Or would he?"

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

"Alright everbody, first off I want to say thank you for coming," Uhura announced to the group gathered around her in Scotty's office, their new base of operations.

"But of course," Chekov replied with a hint of sarcasm. He had not been taken away from any critical work-Uhura had made sure of that-but it was clear his mind was still researching the soil sample and the toxin therein.

Uhura shot him a look. She'd done her homework. "You can spare a few minutes I'm sure, Pavel," she replied dryly, and he mellowed.

"I apologize," he replied. "My mind is still with my research."

"It's alright, so long as you can focus on this for two seconds," she replied with a hint of a smile. He grinned as well.

"As the most vital parts of my research have been completed and there are no more outbreaks of poisoning, I believe I can oblige."

Sulu spoke up expectantly. "So what's the game-plan now, Nyota?" he asked.

"Glad you asked. I was about to get to it myself. Now, after considering all the details of the recent situation, I've come to the conclusion that we still need to carry through with our plan, though we'll have to make a few adjustments." _No doubt that Vulcan will do something stupid and "logical" to jeopardize the whole thing if we don't help out, _she thought to herself.

"What sort of adjustments?" Chekov asked carefully.

Uhura grinned and rubbed her hands together. "For one thing, the tennis match will have to take place in two days; Dr. McCoy says that should be more than enough time for Spock to recover, since you nailed the antidote right away and he wasn't seriously injured from it. I'll need you guys to, well, promote the tennis match among some of the crew without letting Spock or Christine know. Play it up as the match she agreed to play and all that, but pretend you don't know who it's against. A kind of shore leave is still going on, though it's more onboard the ship than on the planet, so people will be happy to come and the match won't interfere with anything important. Having an audience is the only way the two will actually play the match together; they'd run otherwise. So make sure you get one. But first," she finished daringly, "we'll need to get a man named James T. Kirk on our side..."

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

The next day, a certain young Russian leaned against one of the hallway's walls, pretending to scroll through some reports on his PADD. He _was _scrolling through something, but it was the IM feature on the PADD, not a report. He glanced up as he heard the Captain's distinctive step coming down the hall. "Right on time," he muttered to himself, punching in an IM to Uhura.

"Chekov? What are you doing here? Aren't you off shift?" Kirk asked as he neared the ensign.

"Aye, sir, I am off duty," Chekov replied, quickly shutting down the IM program on the PADD and pulling up the decoy report he had ready. "Just working on my PADD," he added, quickly showing the report.

Kirk rose an eyebrow. "In the middle of the hallway?"

"Aye, sir. Change of scenery and all that," Chekov explained.

"Riiiight. And what should I be expecting when I reach the Bridge?" Kirk asked as he walked towards the turbolift with the ensign.

"Sir?"

"I said, what's waiting for me on the Bridge?" Kirk repeated as the doors whooshed open. He turned back to look at the ensign. "Because if it's another avalanche of Tribbles again, I don't think I'll be able to restrain myself from attacking them-and the crewmembers responsible."

"Oh! Haha, no sir, there are no Tribbles that I know of," Chekov replied with a grin.

Kirk stepped inside the turbolift and gestured with a broad sweep of his hand as he said, "Well, whatever's waiting for me, make sure you IM whoever's responsible on that PADD that I'd better like it. No tricks."

The ensign's shocked face was classic as the turbolift doors closed. Shaking himself out of his stunned state, Chekov reminded himself why he was there. Not knowing what the captain's mood or level of alertness would be, Uhura had sent Chekov to test out the waters before she attempted to get Kirk on their side. He wasn't sure if Kirk's reaction was considered a good thing or not, but either way the young Russian knew Uhura would win this battle in the end. Shaking his head in awe, he IM'd the communications officer appropriately.

_He's on his way up, and he's expecting something. Better hope this works, Nyota._

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Sulu met Uhura's eyes as Kirk stepped onto the Bridge. He'd seen Pavel's message as well, and he didn't know whether to frown or to smile. The plan was being enacted now, and he could only hope she knew what she was doing.

"Good morning, sir," Sulu greeted his captain, pulling up some stats on the Bridge viewscreen as a yeoman brought Kirk reports to sign.

"Good morning, Sulu," Kirk replied, casting Uhura a knowing, suspicious glance. "How have things been?"

"Doing well, sir. Maintaining orbit steadily."

"Good."

Sulu, slightly panicked, looked at Uhura out of the corner of his eye. She smiled confidently as she spun around in her chair towards her console, putting her earpiece back in.

Seconds later, a call came in through Kirk's communications panel. Punching the button, he said, "Go, Bones."

"Jim, I'm sorry for the delay, but I'll need Spock to stay here just a while longer. I think he'll be able to make it to at least part of his shift, though, so long as he takes it easy. The way he's clamoring for it, I might have to let him out of here earlier before I give in and just sedate him. His 'logical' jabbering is enough to drive me crazy!"

Sulu could practically feel Kirk's hot stare on the back of his neck as the captain replied, "Don't worry about it, Bones. Send him up here when you can."

The helmsman heard Kirk punch the button off before turning to face both Uhura and himself.

"Alright, you two, what's going on?"

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Uhura grinned at the challenge in her captain's voice. Turning around slowly, she answered him with an overly cheerful tone. "Captain, what makes you think anything is going on?"

His attempted glare was hilarious. He was clearly in a good mood and wanted to get in on the action, but he was still trying to maintain some guise of stern discipline. He looked like a teacher who desperately wanted to skip class for the day.

"Uhura, you might as well tell me," Kirk finally gave up with a sigh. "It'll just make things easier, won't it?"

"Once again, Captain, you've guessed correctly," Uhura replied with a sunny grin.

"And that's exactly how you want it, isn't it?" Kirk added.

"Pretty much," Sulu pitched in.

"So you're in on this as well," Kirk observed. "And Chekov. And Bones. Who else have you brought into this?"

Uhura waved the question aside. "Is that really so important, Captain? What's more important is our proposal to you."

His eyes narrowed as he leaned back in his chair. "Go on."

Uhura grinned wider as she began to speak.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Scotty shook his head at the seemingly impossible assignment. Oh, sure, Nyota, Sulu, and Chekov had managed to get the captain onboard, but he had the hardest task. He took a deep breath and looked lovingly at his engines, trying to build up enough courage to take on the task he had been given. Do it well or not at all, he supposed.

Part of him wished he didn't have to do it at all.

After all, how in the world was he supposed to get Spock interested in _tennis_?

He strode deliberately towards the rec-room Nyota had IM'd him about, grateful he had already eaten lunch. Stepping inside, he instantly spotted Nyota and the rest of the Bridge crew eating at one table, Spock in their midst. He grinned, grabbed a coffee, and headed over.

"Hey Scotty," Nyota greeted him, moving over for him to sit down.

"Hi, Nyota, everyone." He nodded towards the group. "How are we all doing?"

McCoy's dry voice broke through the typical chorus. "Oh, just fine Scotty, if you count 'just fine' as being harrassed constantly by a stubborn, thick-headed Vulcan for half the morning about returning to his post even though he'd just been poisoned by dirt."

Scotty blinked as he took this in, and he couldn't help but laugh at McCoy's utterly dry humor. "That would be hard, I suppose," he replied knowingly, glancing at Spock. "But you seem to be doing well, Mr. Spock."

"I am much better, thank you, Mr. Scott," Spock replied, returning stoically to his salad.

"Well, Spock finally got out of the _dungeon _to go to most of the morning shift," Kirk spoke up, "and it was good to see him there again. Other than that, nothing new."

"Dungeon?!"

Scotty quickly cut in before McCoy could blow a fuse. "It's interesting, isn't it sir, how we go from chaos to calm, just like that?" Scotty asked, snapping his fingers as a visual.

"It is indeed," Kirk replied. "Odd and typical at the same time." He shook his head, picking up his burger. "But I suppose that's how it goes."

Uhura finished off her light salad and pushed the tray away from her. "Well, I'm going off to a quick tennis match with Christine," she announced. Scotty couldn't help but notice the slight twitch of Spock's head when the nurse was mentioned. "We planned it out the last time I beat her; it's a sort of practice match before I put her up to the poor, unfortunate soul who has to lose to her the next time." She glanced wickedly at Sulu, who visibly gulped.

"Whoa, what's this about?" Kirk asked, chuckling at the look on Sulu's face.

Uhura smiled. "I beat her in the last match we had, so now she has to go up against anyone I choose. You'd better stay on my good side, boys," she added with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"Will do," Kirk quickly said with a mock salute.

She laughed as she walked off, and Kirk turned to his Vulcan friend and asked him what he'd be doing for the rest of his "light-duty-only" status. Scotty knew that Kirk was in on the whole thing, but he was such a good actor it was hard to tell. He made a mental note to watch out for those acting skills.

Spock had no real plans for the day; he wanted, of course, to go to work for another shift or study something in the labs, but McCoy's glare was enough to make him reconsider. He'd been placed on light duty, and that meant no more work for the rest of the day; violating that order would not make his doctor happy, and a grumpy Dr. McCoy was to be avoided at all costs, for the good of the whole ship.

"If you're not doing anything, Mr. Spock," Scotty came in on cue, "perhaps you could help me with a certain research project of mine."

"Research?" Spock asked, clearly interested despite his latest research incident.

"No research!" McCoy instantly cut in. "I said light duty, and I meant it!"

"I assure you, Doctor, it's not very tedious research," Scotty quickly added. "It's just watching a sport, studying the angles and forces involved and the like; that's all, sir."

"Hmm..." McCoy cast a suspicious glance at Spock, who even for a Vulcan very clearly wanted to do something, _anything_, rather than be bored out of his wits for the rest of the day. "Well, I suppose," McCoy finally gave in, "so long as there isn't anything strenuous about it. The moment he starts acting at all like he's even the slightest bit tired, you stop with your research and get him to his quarters, ya hear?"

"Aye, sir," Scotty replied quickly, standing up and gesturing to the Vulcan. "Shall we, Mr. Spock?"

As he left, Scotty couldn't help but hear one more shocked outburst from McCoy to Kirk.

"_Dungeon_?!"

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Christine was a little upset and confused, and Uhura could feel it as the girls played their practice match. Christine's every strike and save was focused, powerful, and controlled.

"Want to talk about it?" Uhura asked as she back-handed a shot, grateful no one else was in the rec-room to overhear their conversation.

"Not really," Christine replied, breathing heavily as she launched the poor tennis ball back.

"You sure? How about the condensed version?"

Christine saved the ball before sparing some time to take a deep breath. "Spock and I haven't had time to talk since our _last _talk, because he's either been fast asleep or it hasn't been my shift, and now he's back on light duty again, out of Sickbay. I'm on shift this afternoon, and it's killing me wondering what's going on, whether he was loopy from drugs or not, and what he was going to tell me before we got interrupted."

Uhura slammed the ball back, and Christine returned it with even more force. "I know it's not his fault, but it's still frustrating me being out of the loop."

"Don't worry, Christine; I'm sure it'll all get worked out," Uhura replied. "In fact, I'll personally help if I have to."

"You don't have to do that, Nyota. It was probably just a spur-of-the-moment thing anyway. I should just move on; I feel like such a drama queen."

Uhura shook her head even as she batted the ball back. "I don't know, Christine. It might be worth looking into."

"Well, either way I won't be able to do anything at least through tomorrow; my schedule will be full of triple-checking those who went down to the planet, because we're still worried they might become poisoned despite what Chekov said. Leonard, Pavel, and I are also going to be working on researching the dirt, toxin, and antidote the rest of the day; we have to turn in this big report to Starfleet. It's some big deal, I guess. I'm just glad the Captain already wrapped everything up with the council leaders on the planet and we're at peace with them. I couldn't take much more patients in Sickbay right now."

Uhura took in the information and thought on it a little while before she added, "But you do want to talk with Spock, right? I mean, if you could, you would?"

Christine nodded and swung. "Yeah, I guess. I'm kind of a mixed-up mess right now...I'm not really sure what I want."

Uhura smiled with relief at the subtle tone in her friend's voice. She knew Christine too well after years in space together to be fooled by her words. Christine was still dealing with the death of her grandfather, but she seemed to be getting over it step by step; that was all anyone ever could do, after all. And she wanted to talk with Spock; she wanted closure. Christine always wanted to know exactly what was going on, and the poor girl wouldn't be at peace until she knew. It was simply her nature.

Uhura was just going to give Christine's nature a little boost.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Scotty and Spock stood above the girls in the public observation area, a glass panel separating them from the two women and preventing them from hearing any words they said. Scotty had been explaining to Spock the rules of the game, which he'd learned from watching Uhura play and listening about her matches.

"So as you can see, Mr. Spock, the game actually utilizes a great deal of angles in its very nature and is more complicated than most people think. I can practically do the vector math from up here, though I'm afraid the poor tennis ball will wear out pretty quickly at this rate. They really should give it a better design."

"The game is indeed...fascinating," Spock replied, partially lost in thought. He still had not spoken to Christine; he had meant to, but the circumstances had blocked his way each time. And now that he was out of Sickbay, he found himself more and more hesitant. How was he supposed to approach her? He had actually cried in front of her, albeit while he was in a semi-conscious state, but still the fact remained! He closed his eyes, trying to solve his problem in the recesses of his mind. He wasn't sure he had the courage to talk to her now, even though he had in his emotional state before. His message to her wasn't nullified by any means, but the courage it took to admit it was tremendous and went against almost everything he'd ever been taught. How was he going to manage this?

"I believe the girls are having some sort of match the day after tomorrow as well," Scott's voice cut through the fog of his mind. "Would you like to accompany me to it? Nyota wants me to go, and she's picking a challenger to face Christine. It promises to be an exciting match, even if it's just for research purposes, of course."

Spock blinked and looked at Scott before glancing back at the match in progress. He felt something flutter in his chest, some odd emotion, and in the blink of an illogical instant he decided to go. "I would be honored to come along, Mr. Scott," he replied, still gazing at the match. "What time did you say it was again?"

**A MASSIVE shout-out to those who have read, reviewed, and helped me in this story! You guys breathe life into the story and keep it (and the plot bunnies who help me write it) going strong! Thanks for being so incredible! Please remember to leave a review, even if you never have before and even if you don't have an account. It means the world to me, and it shows off your own awesomeness! Suggestions are appreciated very much too! What do you want to see, in this story or otherwise? I can't promise anything, but I will read every review and suggestion. :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Further Developments**

Uhura's hands flew up to rub her face. Her day had been a long one, and she was craving about a gallon coffee at the near-end of her shift. It was nearing ship's night on the _Enterprise_, and she'd been hard at work all day. Planning the tennis match had turned out to be harder than expected, and she hadn't been able to talk to Christine for even a moment all day; the poor girl had been working double-time with McCoy to put together their toxin report to Starfleet.

Exhausted, she turned back to her console and tried to catch up on some paperwork; at least there weren't any serious transmissions to be monitored. She groaned at the pain in her head as Pavel and Hikaru jabbered away, trying to talk their way through their own fatigue.

"So Pavel, what exactly happened with the toxin? I heard about it, of course, but not any details. How come you figured out the solution and not McCoy?"

Pavel thought for a minute, composing his reply, before responding. "Well, it's a complicated story. First off, the toxin was not a normal one by any means. The soil sample actually contained particles of a new substance-we don't have a name for it yet-that acts a lot like dilithium; it can store and transfer energy remarkably well. Mr. Spock had already told me of this discovery, but when I went in to do my own research after he'd left, I noticed the energy readings were fluctuating off the charts. It was then that I realized the energy transferrence capibilities in the soil were triggered by Vulcan physiology, strangely enough, and that the energy flux had actually transferred the soil's already-present toxin to Mr. Spock's bloodstream through a sort of energy osmosis. From my findings, I was able to analyze the energy readings of the still-reacting soil, calculate the original energy output and consistent average output it would give, and find the appropriate antidote for the energy flux. It was not so much the biological toxin, which was a moderate one that would have on its own merely made Mr. Spock nauseous, but the energy readings of it that made the poison so deadly. Dr. McCoy knew intuitively and from the tricorder readings to use the sedative; however, he did not know the advanced physics and science of the energy readings that I did, nor the math to fit the curves together. The energy readings would have settled back down to normal within minutes of my arrival in the labs; if I had gotten there just a little later, we would have never noticed the origin of the toxin. I had no time to waste; I could not even explain it to Mr. Scott, so he had to infer from watching me what was going on. He figured it out very quickly, but I had the head start. He very easily could have solved it as well as me, had he started earlier. So that is why, Hikaru, things happened as they did."

Chekov beamed, clearly believing that he had made everything much simpler for his helmsman buddy. The look on Sulu's face obviously showed that this was not the case.

Uhura blinked in total confusion. She'd tried listening once she realized what the young Russian was talking about, but she'd been completely lost as well. A quick glance at Kirk revealed that he was pretending to grasp more than he really had.

"That is fascinating, Mr. Chekov," Spock interjected, unknowingly saving Sulu from the task of replying to Pavel's rant. "I must commend you on your quick thinking."

"Thank you, sir!" Chekov beamed.

"Uh, yeah Pavel, that was really great," Sulu got out lamely.

At that, the delighted Russian launched into a tangent lecture about the merits of a certain astrophysicist's notions about the transference of energy, and both Uhura and Sulu completely tuned him out.

That was before Uhura got a certain doctor's call.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

"I don't know what happened; that's what I've been trying to tell you!" McCoy insisted to Uhura, swirling his sweet ice tea around in its glass. "All I know is that Christine got an urgent, private call from someone on Earth and that she had to rush out to take it; she didn't look happy about it, either. I gave her the rest of the shift off; we'd just finished writing up the report to Starfleet, anyway."

"You don't know any details? Anything at all?" Uhura demanded, chugging the rest of her coffee in one gulp.

McCoy shook his head and had a sip of his own drink. "Nothing besides that," he replied, "but I'm worried. You know Christine's folks hardly ever call; the only one who ever did was her grandfather, and we both know certifiably that he's passed on." His weary eyes grew misty for a second as he added, "I entertained the thought for a moment that it was him calling, that he'd somehow come back. But he hasn't, and I know that. I ought t'have learned that by now."

Uhura rubbed her temples, wishing her headache would just go away already. She'd been more than grateful for the end of her shift, but having a headache like this wasn't much better. "I can't believe this is happening," she groaned. "Whatever it is. I don't need an upset Christine Chapel, and right after the whole Spock incident? Too many ups and downs for me."

McCoy nodded, exhaustion evident in his eyes as well as half the crew's. The day had been long, slow, and dreadfully tedious; it was enough to make any Starfleet member with nothing better to do go mad. "I hate that it happened," he commented, taking a seat at the desk in his office. "I wish I could've done more, but it was something about energy whos-a-ma-whatsits and a whole bunch of stuff I'd never learned before. I couldn't do anything; thank God Chekov was there, because without him..."

Uhura nodded, part of her not wanting to think further on that common sentiment that had been expressed by most of the crew already. "And with M'Benga on that research trip..." she muttered under her breath, looking forlornly down at her empty coffee cup.

McCoy shook his head and punched in a quick response to a message on his computer screen. "That was Jim," he explained quickly, gesturing at the IM feature he was currently using. "Anyway, I don't blame M'Benga; the research opportunity on that tropical planet was incredible, and at the time we didn't need him aboard here. Poor man's a specialist in a restricted field working aboard a ship that has only one, albeit very important, Vulcan aboard her; how can you deny him the chance to get his name out there and focus a bit on his career, when everything behind him is at peace anyway?"

"Still," Uhura muttered.

McCoy rolled his eyes and fired up his ancient coffee-maker. "Want some home-brewed?" he asked.

Her eyes lit up instantly. "You mean, you have actual coffee in here? Real coffee? Not the replicator kind?"

He grinned. "I don't usually make it myself," he replied, "except for on rare occasions. But I think I can make an exception this time around."

"Dr. McCoy, I think this is the start of a wonderful friendship."

McCoy laughed, his eyes sparkling in their usual gentle way. "Don't go expecting it every two seconds now, ya hear?" he replied as he took her coffee cup from her, holding it ransom until she agreed.

"Alright, alright," she laughed, seeing what he was doing.

"Good. Now, I suppose you'll stay till Christine comes back?"

"Oh, I think so," she replied, sitting down on the comfy chair opposite him and cradling her new cup of real coffee like the treasure it was. Christine always came to Leonard McCoy when she had to sort through a problem, despite her own characteristic stubbornness, and both Uhura and McCoy suspected that there was indeed a problem. Call it intuition, call it instinct, but both officers had known Christine too long to know otherwise.

"Well then, what shall we do until then?" McCoy asked as he shot off another quick IM to Jim.

"If you want to talk to the captain, that's totally fine," Uhura started, noticing McCoy's brief distraction.

"No, no, he's not upset by anything major; we're just chatting for the most part," McCoy interrupted. "No need to worry about that, Nyota, and anyway I'd only kick you out if it was something serious." He gave her a quick wink to let her know he meant no harm by the statement.

"Well, alright then," she replied, taking a sip of her coffee and rolling her eyes skyward at the taste. "Dr. McCoy, I think...no, I know...that this is the best coffee I have ever tasted in my entire life."

McCoy laughed and took a sip of his own, moving from tea to coffee since he knew the night would be one long wait for Christine to show up. "Glad you like it," he replied. "Learned it from the family, you know."

"Your family is wonderful," Uhura murmured as she took another sip of the heavenly brew.

McCoy chuckled more and shook his head at her words, replying to one more quick IM before looking up at her again. "So, how's the planning going?" he asked, a twinkle in his eye.

Uhura grinned at the thought of it. "It's been a bit tricky," she admitted, "but I think it'll be worth it. Still," she added with a sly edge to her voice as her eyes lit up mischievously, "it'd be nice to know more details about Spock. You know, so I could set it up right..."

McCoy quickly took the hint and smiled wider. "Oh, I'll tell you every embarrassing secret and every funny story about him," he replied eagerly, rubbing his hands together with new energy, "but it might take more than one night to do it in!"

Uhura grinned and settled back in her chair, holding her mug to herself. "I always did love story time."

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Christine slammed her fist down on her desk, wincing as the picture frame of her grandfather shuffled a little from the action. "This can't be happening."

"I assure you, it is. I'm shocked by it myself..."

"No." Christine's face rose, wet from tears but determined and fiery, to look at the image on the screen. Her eyes blazed and anger broiled in her chest. "No. This can't be. You're just spiting me, that's what you're doing!"

The elderly lady on the screen shook her head slowly. "Christine, no matter our differences of opinion in the past, I would never spite your grandfather."

Christine froze at that, flashbacks of loving smiles and sunny days flashing through her mind at warp speed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, forcing her fist to relax. "If that's true," she replied slowly and deliberately, "then you must have actually loved him."

She glanced up when the person on the other end was subdued into shocked silence. The elderly lady's hair was graying and frazzled, and the wrinkles on her face were from shock and sorrow as much as from old age. "Christine, I loved your grandfather dearly. I always have..." her voice broke, "and I always will. He was a shining star in my life. He was always my guide; I was such a stubborn woman that I needed his gentle guidance, and the few times I ignored it..." she trailed off, looking at the strong young woman in front of her, "I lost something very dear to me."

Christine's shocked eyes widened at the significance behind the words.

"I admit, when I found out that he left most of his possessions to you in his will, I...was shocked. Angry. Jealous. Oh, a million emotions ran through my mind, Christine; you know how it is. They left it up to me to inform you, because your grandfather had requested it. You know he always wanted us to be friends more than we are. And when I finally was...stable enough to call you, I just..." The lady buried her head in her weary hands. "I'm _so _sorry, Christine," a choked whisper came out. "I'm so sorry for resenting you all these years, and trying to push you into the career I wanted for you, and even hating you a little when you galloped off to space to become a nurse. I see now how utterly wrong and awful that was of me, and I could never be more sorry. I wanted to help, but I was doing it all wrong, and I was prideful besides. I thought I knew what was best, not you. I needed your grandfather's advice, but I wouldn't listen to him. All he ever wanted for you was the best for you, my dear. And I never gave you what you deserved. And I'm so, so sorry."

Two women that mirrored each other from different ends of the spectrum, one just starting her bright young life and one nearing its gray end, broke down together and cried.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Uhura's heart leapt as Christine walked into the room; the nurse looked more at peace than she had for a long time, so much so that Uhura could practically feel it in the air.

McCoy turned to glance at her, a gentle smile evident on his own face. "Feeling better?" he asked as he grabbed a coffee cup for her.

Christine glanced at Uhura but made no protest as she sat down and accepted the cup of coffee McCoy offered. "Yes, much," she replied softly as she took a sip. "This is real coffee!" she explained, the pleasant surprise painting her face in a beautiful light.

McCoy chuckled. "Sure is," he replied, taking another sip of his. "Made it myself."

"Thank you, Leonard," Christine practically breathed. "You have no idea how much this means to me right now."

The smile on McCoy's face faded slightly, but no one except his closet friends would ever have been able to tell. He struggled to clear his voice, unsure whether to say the next sentence or not, before responding. "I believe it was your grandfather's favorite brew."

Christine's still-wet eyes flashed at him with sorrowful, loving gratitude. She could never have put her feelings into words.

Uhura gently placed a hand on Christine's shoulder. "I knew too," she whispered, glancing with hesitation into her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

The two best friends embraced, and Uhura could feel two quick teardrops hit her shirt.

"He...he was a good man," Christine said brokenly as they separated. "He helped me get into nursing." She didn't know why she always expressed that detail about him, but she always did. Maybe it was because they both had known that was the right path for her, or maybe it was because her job was an important part of who she was. Maybe it was because it was out here, in the middle of space, where she in some way belonged.

She took a deep breath, knowing full well her two closest friends had been waiting half the night for her to come into McCoy's office; they wanted the story. "That call was from my grandmother, Rosemary," she said quietly. "She...she said that my grandfather left a lot of things to me in his will, even more than he did for her. Oh, he left her plenty, but he gave me a lot of his more personal possessions-things he built in his shop and spare time, oil paintings he did of their land, even bits of jewelry that he fashioned. He was into those sorts of crafts...Anyway, she and I have been, well, estranged for a long time now. When she called I was so angry to even hear her voice that I could hardly listen, regardless of what she was saying. But then she and I talked and," she broke off for a second, clearly wanting to keep the conversation private even from McCoy and Uhura, "we're better now. We're actually...okay."

Uhura smiled through her threatening tears, remembering all the times Christine had ranted about her grandmother's actions and all the times she had hoped for resolution. Christine was a woman of detail and closure, and Rosemary's vague, unexplained resentment had always driven her crazy. Finally, the girl had a reason, secret as it was, for why.

"Do you think you're going to be okay?" McCoy asked, looking at her carefully and with the attitude of the grandfather she loved so much.

Christine smiled in a pure, beautiful sense of relief as she stared down at her swirling coffee. "I think so," she whispered, her voice growing stronger with each sentence. "I've finally gotten closure, I've finally figured out why he loved her so much and why he wanted me to find that same love. Rosemary talked about him being her guide and light; I think he wanted me to find someone who could guide me, too, but also someone I could help as well. He always talked about how Rosemary made him feel like life really was worth living. You know what I mean? I think...I think he wanted my heart to be guarded and protected while at the same time being lit up to show the whole world. All the stars...He always did love the stars." She glanced up at her friends, surprised herself by the words rapidly pouring out of her soul and into their laps. "He wanted me to have a beautiful life."

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Dr. Leonard McCoy leaned back in his swivel chair, rubbing his face and grabbing what remained of his cup of coffee. He glanced at Uhura across his desk and rose one of his eyebrows in his best impersonation of Spock, just for kicks.

She laughed and shook her head. "I just can't believe it," she said, the smile on her face refusing to dull. "I'm so glad she's finally happy again, finally over it-as much as she can be, of course. I really think she just had a breakthrough."

McCoy nodded. "She did," he responded simply. He knew Christine quite well, and he could read people pretty well, too. He finally felt like his head nurse was going to be alright. He smiled a little at the thought of it, his exhaustion catching up with him, and jumped when the next IM from Jim came in. His smile grew wider as he quickly typed a response.

"What did he say?" Uhura asked politely.

McCoy glanced back at her. "I'm sorry," he immediately found himself apologizing, "I really shouldn't have been IMing him while you were here. I can't believe I didn't think of that earlier; I wasn't trying to be rude..."

"Doctor, really, don't worry about it," she laughed in response. "I take no offense. I know you and Jim need to talk, and if I didn't like it, I would've said something. Besides, I don't mind people multitasking around me. I do it all the time!"

"Well, I'm relieved," Dr. McCoy replied, glancing at the screen again. "So is Jim."

"Hmm?"

He flashed her an almost apologetic glance. "I didn't tell you, did I? I was IMing Jim about the whole Christine situation. He's glad about it, too."

"You told him about her grandfather? I thought that was supposed to be a secret!" she exclaimed.

McCoy shook his head. "I can tell we're both exhausted," he commented, "when you forget the details. Nyota, Jim's the captain of the starship we're aboard. Don't you think he makes it his business to know about his crewmembers' lives, especially his head nurse's? The communique about her grandfather may have been private, but Jim's notified of important familial issues like that. He's just good at hiding it. Comes from practice, I suppose," he added, his eyes misty for just a second at all the families he had had to call about the deaths of loved ones.

Uhura's eyes grew wide. "I didn't know," she whispered. "I mean, I knew that, but this time it completely flew out of my head. I just assumed that it was a watertight secret. He never said a word about Christine's grandfather passing on."

"Just like you never told him," McCoy replied with a wave of his hand. "It was supposed to be a secret, and it still is. As far as I know, only we three know about it besides Christine."

Spock stood alone outside the closed door to McCoy's office, a lump in his throat and shock in his heart.

Quietly, softly, he walked away.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

He stood alone and stared at the stars.

The observation window showed a panoramic view of those stars, those pinpricks of light that somehow penetrated space's cold layer of emptiness. Sometimes it was hard to imagine how they did it. How could those flames of warmth and hope shine through space's immense distances and reach the hearts of creatures on every planet who dreamed of a better world? Oh, Spock knew the scientific reasons.

But for some reason, tonight, he was sick of science.

The thought jarred him, and he shook his head to try to clear the thought. Still it remained. "Illogical," he whispered under his breath, brows knit tightly in the faint starlight. "Science is logical. Science is..." he trailed off. He couldn't go on. His thoughts whirled him away, and he couldn't stop them. Maybe he didn't want to.

He was a human in a Vulcan's body. He was both natures at once, and both were ingrained within his mind and his heart. He couldn't give up one to join the other; he had to be both. And he wasn't sure there was a way to do that. He couldn't let himself be very emotional, or he'd risk the aspects of being Vulcan that he did like and choose. But he couldn't be purely Vulcan, either; he knew he'd explode eventually if he did. He practically was now, anyway.

He was sick of Surak. Sick of "logical" teachings that denied him not only his human half, but his Vulcan half. Surak's teachings had saved his race from self-destruction, but it might not again. There was an old adage Jim always said...pull the reins too tight on a horse, and it'll buck. Vulcans would explode eventually; it was only a matter of time. Oh, they pretended they didn't have emotions, but that was a flat-out lie; they had emotions even stronger than humans did and even deeper. You could get a Vulcan to admit to some of that, but not all of it; they tended to insist they had less emotions than the questioner might demand, even if they admitted to having some. They lied, but they truly believed they were using logic and not lies.

Lying is illogical.

So why should he, Spock, lie about his very nature? He was half human and always would be; it was something he could never change. And despite all the mockery and pain that came from his dual nature, part of him insisted that even if he could change it, he wouldn't. He had seen what such things could do to the time stream. For all that Vulcans knew, his very nature could be a saving grace to them and not a curse! There could be an infinite amount of different reasons his nature was beneficial; they might be invisible to them, but a trip through the Guardian of Forever could always prove otherwise. Not that he wanted to go on such a trip. He'd gone on one too many the first time; he had keenly felt the loss of Edith Keeler, albeit in a different way than Jim, and the thought of her righteous face still struck a heavy chord in his heart. She had been so right...just at the wrong time.

And what about Christine? He felt his thoughts pull to her, and he couldn't stop the flood of emotions that swamped along with them. Not that he really wanted to. She had always been noble and just; she had always fought to save the lives of others and comfort them instead of herself. How could she be so self-sacrificial, so others-oriented, so giving of herself? He couldn't imagine it. She didn't just give away her time or her talents; she gave away her very heart, her very light, to comfort others. He could never be that open. Not with anyone, not even Leonard or Jim. And they were his best friends! Yes, friends, whether Sarek or Surak allowed it or not. He didn't care what they thought anymore. But if he couldn't be open with his best friends, how could he ever be open with Christine? How could he ever open his heart to her, even a crack, to admit the love that he had for her? And he did love her; he knew that now. He loved her very much, very deeply, very purely. And there was no way he would ever be able to let her know.

No. That couldn't be possible. He had to overcome this. This wasn't the time for him to back down, retreat into his little corner and hide away like he always did. He had to tell her how he honestly felt, and had to face both sides of himself to do it. The strength and courage it would take would be beyond words.

But Christine? She was worth it.

**Okay, so! I promise, the fluff is returning! Next chapter there should be a whole lot more fluff-happy, sweet, silliness. I just had to tie up some loose ends in this chapter, and I think that's all been done in a nice, neat little bow. I'm trying to get the balance right between fluff and drama, and so far the rough plan is the middle is dramatic with the endcaps being more fluffy. And if you need some extra fluff, I highly recommend you check out my story Mustache. ;) I really appreciate all your follows, favorites, and reviews: you guys are so awesome! You help keep me going and are patient too, so thank you very much for that! If you have any suggestions for this story or ideas for others, please review, too! Kind, constructive criticism is appreciated as I learn the ropes. In short, thanks for being awesome, hang in there, and please leave a review! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Game On**

"Mr. Chekov, may I inquire why you have been smiling for the past consecutive five minutes?"

Uhura stiffened instantly as she heard the poor kid try to stammer an excuse. "Oh, I'm sure Chekov is just happy that everything has been going so well lately," she interjected sweetly, shooting Pavel a dangerous look.

"Oh, er, yes sir, I was just reflecting on how happy I am that everything has resolved itself," Chekov replied, tugging a little at his collar.

Spock raised an eyebrow. "Unless there is some issue I have not been made aware of," he replied steadily, "I believe all the problems have already been resolved as of yesterday. Why, then, would you be showing your emotional relief at the current time instead of then?"

Chekov's mouth just made a big O.

Kirk cleared his throat, jumping to the rescue. "Oh, you know us illogical humans, Spock; our emotions can come out at any time without making much sense."

Chekov nodded all too rapidly, then stopped when Uhura's glare practically burned a new haircut into his skull.

Spock paused for a moment before responding, "Of course, sir."

Uhura noticed the odd catch in his voice instantly. That wasn't like him; usually he flew into rants about emotion all on his own, and here Kirk had given him a perfect opportunity on a silver platter, and the Vulcan hadn't taken the bait.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, trying to see what was wrong, only to find him raising an eyebrow at the look he had just caught her giving him. Shoot. Why did the Vulcan have to be so perceptive? She jerked her head back to looking at her console, but not quite in time.

Spock swiveled in his chair to face her. "Is something wrong, Lietuenant?" he asked.

"No, sir," she replied innocently, keeping her head down and trying not to look him in the eye. He was incredibly good at reading people.

Somehow, they made it through that morning shift; Uhura had no clue how, with Pavel trying desperately to keep his cover, Sulu elbowing him when the young ensign was grinning like an idiot for minutes at a time, and Kirk chuckling under his breath at their antics.

_Note to self, _Uhura thought, _get Pavel some training in this. He's practically giving us away and gift-wrapping us to boot!_

As she left the turbolift and walked into the hallway, she promptly grabbed Chekov by the collar and unceremoniously hauled him over to one of the (thankfully empty) rec-rooms.

"You're got some explaining to do, Pavel. What do you think you were doing back there? You nearly got us all found out!" she hissed.

Chekov gulped and gave his best apologetic smile; his voice was heavily accented due to his logical fear of Uhura and emotional excitement for the upcoming tennis match. "My apologies, Miss Uhura. I simply could not contain my excitement! I will do better next time."

She sighed. "I hope so, Pavel. I hope so."

She released him but couldn't help shaking her head at the kid's huge eyes and grin.

"He'll learn," Sulu chuckled. "I'll teach him myself."

"Thanks, Hikaru. You know how worried I am about all of this. We don't know for sure what their reactions are going to be." She checked the clock in the room and took a deep breath. "It's time. Alright Hikaru, you know what to do. Dr. McCoy will come in with Christine, and Scotty will bring in Spock. Pavel, you're with me." She gave the two officers a serious, but also incredibly excited, look. "Let's roll."

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Christine sighed as she rubbed the frame of her grandfather's picture with her thumb. "I miss you," she whispered as she put the photo back on her desk. "But I'll be okay. Rosemary called me, Grandpa, and we're better now. I can make it, Grandpa; I know I can." Her face split into a smile as she added fondly, "Just you wait and see."

She grabbed her tennis bag and swung it over her shoulder as she heard Dr. McCoy calling to her from the hallway.

"Time to go beat whoever dares to play against me," she told herself as she glanced back at the photo with a grin. "Be sure to watch."

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Uhura smiled as Christine walked in, accompanied by McCoy. As Christine walked ahead of him to the court, the doctor gave Uhura a big thumbs-up and went to guard the door. Christine wasn't getting out of that exit.

Nyota glanced at the bleachers; they held many of the crewmen her group had promoted the match to, along with two gentlemen in red and blue. She grinned. Getting Chekov to mess with the observation area's door wiring had been genius; Scotty and Spock had to sit on the lower level with everyone else, and they could hear everything that went on.

Sulu was with the crewmembers on the side of the court who preferred to watch the game standing; he looked properly nervous and edgy, and Christine flashed him a mischievous smile. She thought she was going to play against him; Uhura had wanted it that way, and she was quite thrilled about Sulu's surprisingly good acting skills. She'd have to enlist him in her next prank.

Pavel stood by the room's only other exit, finally allowed to let the grin play out full-force on his young face. Nyota practically had to shield her eyes whenever she looked at him so she wouldn't go blind; the kid had a seriously bright smile! She glanced back towards Christine, the spots in her eyes from seeing Pavel's smile clearing just in time.

"Ready to get beat?" she asked with her smile growing wider and wider on her face as she realized just what was going to happen.

Christine cocked her head, her ponytail swishing through the air. "I doubt it," she replied boldly, "Because you're the only one on the whole _Enterprise _who has even a shot at beating me."

"Are you so sure?" Uhura asked, and Christine suddenly recognized the mischievous light behind her friend's eyes.

"Nyota, what have you done?" Her voice was edged with suspicion.

Uhura's smile turned into a Chekov-style grin, and Christine felt a shiver of fear go up her spine. Her mind flew, trying to think of who in the world Uhura could pitch against her, until she suddenly remembered their last conversation.

Uhura had said she'd help her talk to Spock.

No.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Uhura bounced sweetly to the center of the court, and both Spock and Scotty looked up expectantly. "She'll be announcing the competitor now, I imagine," Scotty mentioned calmly as his eyes darted to Chekov and McCoy, making sure they were in place.

"Who do you think it'll be?" an engineer near them piped up. "I hear their matches are epic!"

Scotty chuckled in response. "They are indeed, Ensign," he replied. "You'll be in for a real treat today."

Spock raised an eyebrow at the subtle tone he caught in Scotty's voice, but before he could say anything, Uhura spoke up and the crowd hushed.

"As you all know, I challenged Christine in our last match to play whoever I chose as her competitor," she announced broadly to her captive audience. Her speaking voice was strong and confident. "Today is the day I announce him, and she plays him in a best-of-three game."

The crowd's excited murmuring started up then, as people looked side to side, wondering who the guy was going to be. Hikaru visibly gulped and tried to melt into the crowd behind him, but people laughingly pushed him back up to the front.

Spock's head tilted in confusion as he noticed the look of sudden worry on Christine's face. Moments ago, she had appeared confident and ready to take on anything, but now...

Uhura grinned cheekily at Sulu. "You know how much I'd love it to be you, Hikaru," she said so everyone could hear, "but you're off the hook today."

The helmsman breathed a sigh of relief as the group of people returned to their mumblings. "Who's it going to be, Uhura?" someone shouted from the crowd. "Yeah, don't leave us hanging!" another one added.

Spock watched as her broad smile turned into a gentler one. She glanced up at the bleachers where he was sitting, and suddenly he felt his heart jump. Pieces of the puzzle finally clicked together as she opened her mouth.

"Mr. Spock."

The crowd gasped and didn't make a further sound. The whole room held its breath as all eyes turned to bore into Spock. He couldn't stop himself from drawing in a sharp breath, but he slowly stood up. On the ground, an upset Christine was talking rapidly into Uhura's ear, her words hidden from the rest of the onlookers but known to his excellent hearing. "Nyota, you can't do this! You can't just ask Spock to come down here to a play a _tennis match _against me! Are you crazy?! Think of the shame he'll have to face!" Uhura was clearly ignoring her, all her focus and attention aimed at Spock.

He wasn't sure what to do. Clearly this had been a set-up: Chekov and McCoy stood guarding the doors, Mr. Scott had brought him in, and Sulu's broad grin suggested he was in on the situation as well, perhaps as a decoy. And Uhura had been known to be a prank ringleader many times before. But what of Christine? Would she be accepting of this plan, or would she be insulted? She was trying to defend him, but he knew she must be feeling the embarrassment of the situation as well. He wouldn't do this if it would hurt her. He couldn't.

"Would you please come down, Mr. Spock? I believe you have a tennis match to play. Unless, of course," Uhura added dramatically, "Christine wants to back out on the deal she agreed to." Her dark hair swished as she glanced at a mildly furious Christine. She knew full well how bad it would make Christine look if she refused to play. The nurse gritted her teeth.

Spock saw the action from a distance and impulsively started walking down the steps to the floor. "There is no need for that," he said, his voice able to reach all ears without being too loud or sudden. "I have never before played a tennis match; I would be an inadequate and pointless challenger."

Uhura glared in his general direction, but not quite directly at him; she wasn't that stupid. But still, why was this Vulcan trying to mess things up for her? She'd worked hard on this, and she wasn't about to give it up.

"That's not the point, Mr. Spock. The point is that Christine agreed to face whichever challenger I chose. It's my business whether the chosen person is a worthwhile opponent for her or not." Her words shocked even her; to argue like this with another officer in front of some of the crew, a senior one and a Vulcan at that, was crazy. Pure insanity. But still she stood firm. She couldn't let this opportunity slip by. She kept her voice lowered as she talked with him instead of broadcasting it to the crowd, but she still spoke. Something in her was ready to snap; she didn't know what or why, but somehow she knew that allowing either Spock or Christine to back out of this would be tragic. She held her breath as Spock's eyes widened at her response and tension zapped the air.

Spock looked at Christine, and she looked back, her eyes a mixture of apprehension, anger, and embarrassment. But the flush to her cheeks was not entirely of the angry variety. Spock wasn't an expert at reading human emotions, but he was better than he pretended to be half the time. He thought he could detect just a slight hint of happiness and hope, if a bit embarrassed, in her beautiful face. "If you are willing..."

She took a deep breath, still gritting her teeth. "Let's just do this."

He nodded slowly. Getting it over with would be better than trying to fight Uhura on this one. He didn't know why she was doing this, and part of him was irritated at her, but something insistently told him that she meant no harm. She kept the conversation, or argument, private, and though her eyes were spitting fire they also had within them a deep look of hope. It seemed like she really did have a purpose to this, and surely she wouldn't hurt Christine... Besides, she could be as stubborn as him sometimes, and he knew full well how stubborn his Vulcan half could be. Not to mention his human half.

Uhura stepped away a bit to start announcing the general rules and the like to the crowd. Spock accepted some gear from Sulu. "Sorry, sir," the helmsman muttered under his breath. "I know you figured out what's going on for the most part and don't appreciate the prank. But trust me, it's not done with any spite towards you or Christine. It's...meant in a good way. If that makes any sense." Looking slightly guilty now that the plan was actually happening, he handed Spock a tennis racket. "I hope you are not angry with us."

Spock accepted the racket, twirling it deftly in his hand and testing out its balance. Sulu could have sworn he saw a faint twitch at the corner of his mouth, but Vulcans didn't smile. "Do not worry, Lieutenant," Spock replied, his gaze glancing towards Christine for a second. "I am not angry with you."

Sulu, shocked, watched as the Vulcan went towards Christine; the Lieutenant himself melted back into the crowd.

"Are you ready?" Spock asked quietly, his voice slightly halting as she turned to look at him. Her eyes were fire.

"I'm so sorry this happened, Mr. Spock. I didn't know about any of this. I would've pulled out if you hadn't come down or accepted on the basis that I was okay with it. I can't believe Nyota would do something so stupid!"

Spock twirled his racket, strangely grateful for its presence. "I am not angry or upset, Miss Chapel," he replied carefully, the flashback of their time in Sickbay flooding over him like a wave. He wanted to call her Christine, but now wasn't the time. "Please, do not be angry because of me."

Shocked, she looked at him carefully. "Are you sure?" she asked, her voice nearly a whisper.

He nodded in response, wishing he could talk to her openly but feeling barred at every turn. He'd planned to speak to her today, but things simply hadn't worked out. But even now he felt his tongue tying up at the sight of her. He quickly switched to a more logical side of the conversation out of habit. "The only question is the method," he said quickly. "Do you wish to do this as quickly as possible, or more...honestly?"

A grin fought to come out on her features. "Are you asking me for a challenge?" she asked, eyes growing lighter as she cocked her head, her ponytail swishing through the air.

"Perhaps." He twirled his racket once more and met her eyes.

"Well then," she replied, "challenge accepted. Bring it on."

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

"Ladies and gents, I present to you a tennis match for the history books!" At seeing the sudden and hard-to-hide joy on Christine's face, along with Spock's softer but still pleasant facial expression, Uhura had perked up quite a bit. For a minute she had wondered if she was doing the right thing after all. Now she knew she was. "We start with Round One!"

Sulu stood watching the scene carefully; he'd come back out of the crowd with a referee shirt pulled on over his uniform, and he was ready to ref the game. "Hikaru, you're the ref?" Christine exclaimed in surprise as she took up her position, brushing back a loose strand of hair. "I didn't know you knew the rules of tennis."

Sulu laughed, glad she wasn't angry anymore. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Christine," he replied with a smile. He glanced at Spock, who stood on the other half of the court, matching Christine's stance and preparing for the game. "You both ready?"

Christine nodded, eyes narrowed and grin sneaking up her face. Spock matched her nod, his eyes dancing.

"Then begin!"

Christine served the ball powerfully, and she was surprised when Spock's strong arm whipped it back just as fast. Instantly they both got into the game, even if Spock had never played it before. Their minds were suddenly and perfectly in sync with the game and with each other. The crowd could hardly keep up as the tennis ball flew back and forth on the court. Both opponents moved quickly with the skill of professional players, and the whole game looked like a blur.

Spock hit the floor suddenly, just missing the tennis ball and nearly scraping himself on the flooring doing so. "Round One goes to Christine!" Hikaru announced, Spock's miss having cost him the set. The crowd seemed split; half wanted Christine to win, and half were rooting heartily for the Vulcan. Spock had to admit to himself that he was surprised at the shouts of encouragement that made their way to his ears. Were the crew really supporting him?

Christine took a quick break, panting heavily, and grabbed a sip of water. "Ready to play the next round, Mr. Spock?" she teased, her eyes dancing with the sudden fun of it all. She'd been mad as a hornet two seconds ago at Nyota, but now she was beginning to understand. Maybe, just maybe, Nyota had seen the reason in uniting the two of them. This was more fun than she ever could have imagined, and quite frankly, she needed some more fun in her life lately to balance her out.

Plus, she was beating a Vulcan at tennis.

Spock's eyes seemed to take on a light of daring. "Whenever you are," he replied with a slight twitch to his lips. He was controlling his instinct to smile as much as he could, but it was hard. This time with Christine was precious, and he was going to hold onto it as long as he could.

The next two rounds played out swiftly and just as powerfully as before, and at the end Spock turned out to be the victor, though barely.

"Good match," Christine said as she shook Spock's hand over the net, as was customary.

"You as well," he replied evenly, tired but certainly not irritated.

The general rush and chaos following such a historic match swept the two up into its blur, and after what seemed like hours of talking to the overly excited crew members, officially reconciling with Uhura and the rest of her group, realizing Kirk had been in on it, and in general tying up all the loose ends, the two found themselves almost alone in the gym. The rest of the officers were bunched up near the entrance, ready to go and celebrate their well-earned success in one of the rec-rooms.

Spock turned to Christine awkwardly for a moment before quickly asking under his breath, "Would you mind meeting me on the observation deck, Christine?"

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

The deck was quiet, empty of celebrating crewmen, and filled only with the presence of the stars. Spock turned around at the familiar swish of the door to behold the woman he had been trying to reach all this time. She walked up to him silently and stared at the stars, and he couldn't help but notice how beautifully they reflected in her eyes.

He quietly, though suddenly, let his words break through. "Christine, I am not sure how to say this to you, so if you do not mind, I will speak bluntly as I usually do." He paused a second, and she nodded in assent. "Christine, I...I love you and have for some time."

Her shocked face jarred him for a second as she took a step back, still amazed at his sentiment even though she privately had been wondering about just that since their moment in Sickbay. "I...I thought you wouldn't ever..." Christine's hand flew up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She swallowed and tried to form the right words. "I just didn't ever think you would actually notice me," she managed to get out, voice breaking as her eyes fluttered to look at the floor. She couldn't bear to look in his eyes.

"Christine." His deep, quiet voice somehow drew her eyes back up to his, and she almost gasped at the love so clearly visible within them. "I have always noticed."

"But I...I mean, I'm not even a Vulcan. I don't - "

"My mother was not a Vulcan," Spock interrupted quietly. "That never stopped her. Nothing ever stopped her...just like you"

"Do you really mean this?" Christine whispered, her voice catching on her throat and refusing to come out any louder. "I mean, you weren't just put up to this..." she glanced at him again and instantly repented. "No, of course not," she muttered. "But I mean..." She shook her head in near-despair, knowing how stupid she sounded but not able to speak clearly. "The ship'll talk, you know," she added, wondering why in the world she was fighting this. "I mean, you won't be able to keep your I'm-strictly-Vulcan-and-not-emotional-at-all reputation."

Spock tilted his head and looked at her with those sweet eyes. "Christine," he whispered quietly, his voice eery and yet strangely comforting in its lowered volume, "I honestly do not care if that is the case. I am both human and Vulcan. I have decided I am finally ready to embrace that." His eyes searched hers, the Vulcan's eyes sparkling with worlds of emotion and logic alike hidden deep within them. "I would like it very much if you would go with me on that journey, side by side. Step by step."

He had never seen any star sparkle as brilliantly as the lights in her eyes then.

"I would very much like that, too," she replied softly.

His almost halting voice added after a moment, "May I?"

She smiled in response.

It was not her first kiss. But it was just as perfect as first kisses are made out to be.

And it told her they were going to make it through anything.

**Fine!**

**Guess what? I FINALLY updated! I'm so sorry it took so long, but life has been crazy. I finally have time to write again! I hope you all enjoyed this story of mine, even through its ups and downs. I think those dramatic parts really were needed, though, and I think it turned out well in the end.**

**I'd like to take this time to announce that *hopefully* I will be writing a bunch more stories soon, so stay tuned. One particular idea I'd like to announce is that I have a multi-chaptered songfic (is that the right name? I hope so) thing that I'm writing out, and I should release it soon. I hope you guys will love it!**

**Until then please leave a review! They make my day and just make the whole thing well worth it. Plus I need to feed those plot bunnies with something. :D**


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